Dog Sledding in Algonquin Park, Ontario
Meet our Dog Sled Guides & Team
2009 – 2010 Winter Season and 2010 Summer
The key to the success of our dog sledding programs is our guides. It is their knowledge, their skills, and their enthusiasm that unites the key elements we have developed over our years in Algonquin Park. We select our guides carefully and then put them through an intensive dog sled training and apprenticeship program to provide them with the skills and knowledge to place them in that elite category of the best in the business. Each fall, they descend on South River, Ontario with new energy and ideas to prepare for a new dog sledding season. They are committed to personal and professional growth and to delivering to you a dog sled experience you shall cherish and tell stories about for years to come.
Sam Ball and Adam Robinson have remained for the summer canoeing and hiking season. They have enjoyed sharing their experiences exploring the canoe routes of Algonquin, the backpacking and hiking trails of Killarney Provincial Park and other locations across Ontario.
Summer has turned to Autumn, the leaves have fallen, the snow has blanketed the forests of Algonquin Park and South River. Let’s go dog sledding!
PAUL REID
I am 8th generation Canadian. My father was an avid bushman who instilled a love of the wilderness in his children. My mother emigrated from England in early 1900 & settled in the bush north of Dryden. Dog teams were very much a part of their lives. Growing years were spent hiking & canoeing throughout Ontario & during this time I developed a special love for the Algonquin wilderness. I taught elementary school level in southern Ontario for 17 years before coming north to South River to devote full time to my passion for sled dogs & the wilderness experience. This year marks 35 years providing educational/recreational dog sledding programs.
MARG REID
Marg is Paul’s wife of 39 years. Her parents were also pioneer spirits who spent time in the Peace River district ministering to the needs of the residents. Marg is a graduate of Kempville College of Agricultural Technology where her focus was Home Economics. She worked in hospitals as a food supervisor. Her responsibilities at Chocpaw are managing the kitchen & food services, and special dietary needs of clients, feeding a large staff, & doing all the buying of food & equipment. Marg is extremely creative & artistic and works in the entertainment industry in the off season as a seamstress & wardrobe mistress for stage shows & the movie industry.
RENE MARCHILDON
Rene is Paul & Marg’s son. He has been involved with the business for more than 20 years & running dogs for almost 30 years. Although the last few years Rene’s focus has been racing he continues to contribute preseason to trail work & camp setting, & the breaking & training of pups. Rene is one of the top mid distance racers in the country. For more on his racing effort see the RACE PAGE.
DONNA ARCHER
Donna is a teacher with the Peel District Board of Education teacher in the Brampton area. She has been a weekend warrior since her start many years ago, always and will continue to guide this winter part-time.
“This will be my 14th season guiding for Chocpawsincefalling in love with the dogs and the sport 15 years ago.”
SAM BALL
Sam is a lifelong lover of nature, the outdoors and dogs. After studying English and modern literature for four years he spent a year working at an ATV and outdoor pursuits centre in his home county of Leicestershire, England. Since arriving in Canada in April 2007 Sam has embraced the Ontario wilderness, particularly falling in love with Algonquin Park where he began his guiding carreer.
Sam spent the summer taking care of the dogs and leading wilderness canoeing and backpacking trips for Chocpaw Expeditions in Algonquin and Killarney Provincial Parks.
This will be his third season with Chocpaw and third Winter in Canada. He is excited.
LISA FERRIS
Graduated from the Parks & Forest Rec program at Sir Sanford Fleming withpost-grad studies in Eco-tourism. She is returning this season for her eighth year at Chocpaw.
Lisa’s interest is conservation & making eco friendly life style choices. She is very enthusiastic about her work & makes very evident her commitment to the dogs & the experience.
DON GLAUDE
Graduated from Outdoor Rec and Natural Resource programs at Sir Sanford Fleming. Copious canoeing and wilderness tripping experience including dog sledding in the Temagami region of Ontario.
Don & Amy & baby Etienne move south last fall but Don will be back to lead a couple trips this winter.
LIZ JONES
Graduated from Outdoor Rec & Management programs at Sir Sanford Fleming and completed an internship at Haliburton Outdoor Centres. She is pursuing studies and a career in dog training and obedience. Liz is returning to guide at Chocpawfor her eighth season this winter.
“My love for the dogs is what keeps me coming back. I first came to Chocpawto visit a friend and I was invited to go on a night run with the guides. It was quoted as “one of the worst runs ever”, but I had a blast.”
Liz has started her own dog care & training business in Southern Ontario. Her ever increasing knowledge & skills are a real asset to this staff.
DREA LATFORD
Graduated from Seneca College in Outdoor Rec program and began guiding at Chocpaw in the 1998/99 season. She guided here for 5 winters and returned to University to pursue an undergrad degree and work towards teacher’s college.
With the heavy load of education behind her Drea hopes to be able to do some guiding this winter.
JEN MCFARLANE
Jen is a graduate of Adventure Tourism Management from Sir Sanford Fleming College, & a Parks & Outdoor Recreation Technician from Sault College. Jen has extensive experience in outdoor recreation having worked in the ski industry, as a river rafting guide, a canoe & kayak guide and as program director at two camps. Jen spent this summer at Algonquin Outfitters putting her organizational skills to use.
This will be Jen’s sixth season at ChocpawExpeditions. Jen is known as a hard working guide with an excellent sense of humour.
GRAEME MITCHELL
Graduated from Outdoor Rec program at Seneca College and gained extensive canoe tripping and leadership experience before coming to Chocpaw seven winters ago. Graeme has a strong philosophy on wilderness tripping which he demonstrates through everything he does and passes this on to clients and fellow staff members alike. He is an excellent dog man & his introspective approach to running dogs & tripping has made him very successful & an outstanding guide.
Graeme completed a paramedic course at Niagara College. Now employed as a paramedic in the Niagara region, he hopes to combine his new knowledge & skills with his passion for the outdoors. Graeme will be back this winter.
KALYN MURDOCK
Kalyn spent eight years working in the YMCA camping community, the last four spent leading extended canoe trips. It was as a youth participant on these same trips that she first discovered a love of wilderness tripping and experiential education. She has traveled extensively in all seven continents and bothpolarcircles. She recently graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a BA in Environmental Studies and International Development. She is excited to have joined the Chocpaw family.
Kalyn’s certifications include Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard, Moving Water Level 1A, Advanced Open Water Diver and Level 4 Awesomeness. If asked, she will claim to be hilarious.
ANDREW PACE
Andrew is an extremely active person. Along with participating in many sports & Activities he has been one of the driving organizational forces behind organizing a Mountain Bike Club, a Cross Country Ski Club, and an Outdoors Club in his hometown area of NovaSoctia. He has tripped extensively throughout eastern Canada and Ontario. He has a quiet enthusiasm for the wilderness & tripping that is quite infectious. He is a tireless worker and he is extremely good at what he does.
ADAM ROBINSON
Adam graduated from Algonquin College in 2007 with a diploma in Outdoor Education. He is a certified flat water canoe, snowboard, and white water kayak instructor.
He is a proud Maritimer from Moncton, New Brunswick and spent his 2006 and 2007 summers guiding climbing, rappelling and sea kayaking on the Bay of Fundy for a company called Cape Enrage.
Two years ago Adam spent his summer completing a 4 1/2 month long hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail which passes through 14 States and spans almost 2,200 miles. This summer Adam cared for the dogs and guided wilderness canoeing and backpacking trips in Algonquin and Killarney Provincial Parks for Chocpaw Expeditions.
When not guiding or gathering firewood, Adam can be found rock climbing or white water kayaking on the Ottawa River.
This is Adam’s third winter with Chocpaw Expeditions.
KRIS SAMPSON
Kris spent this summer in British Columbia chasing bears and the spring in Zambia. He is an excellent team member and a cheerful person, even under stressful situations. Kris loves the outdoors and travelling. He has backpacked extensively through-out Asia and Australia, and will have some interesting experiences to share. This is his fourth winter at Chocpaw.
KEVIN VANDENBUSSCHE
Kevin, called Rambo by his friends, is from Belgium and this is his second winter at Chocpaw.
Kevin studied physical education in the Artevlde Hogeschool in Gent (Belgium). While he was studying he spent a big part of his time in the mountains of France, Italy, and Spain where he worked/played/functioned as a climbing guide, snowboarding instructor, and paragliding.
Last summer Kevin journeyed north to the Yukon Territory to have a look at the dog sledding industry there. He learned a lot working for some very skilled mushers.
Under his personal motto ‘Dream It, Learn It, Live It’, Kevin hopes to brings his European experience to Chocpaw.
GILLIAN WRIGHT
Gillian has been an avid dog sledder for over five years and has completed 5-day trips in both Temagami and Algonquin. Last winter she participated in the Chocpaw Expeditions 9-day outing from Cochrane to Moosonee. She has taken numerous dog sledding trips and is looking forward being a guide this winter and introducing others to this Canadian winter activity.
Gillian has been a avid white water kayakerfor more than 20 years. She also sea kayaks and has completed a course to be an assistant sea kayak guide with the Canadian Sea Kayak Federation. Gillian was on the ski patrol for 7 years.
Gillian tries to get out and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible and is looking forward to the challenge of learning more about working with the dogs.
Chocpaw Expeditions employs many other highly skilled veteran guides and new staff in training who make the experiences we offer possible. We hope to have their stories posted here soon.
Contacting Chocpaw Expeditions
P.O. Box 674, I Industrial Park Road, South River, Ontario, P0A 1X0Phone/Fax – 705 – 386-0344e-mail – chocpaw@on.aibn.com
