Registration, Meals, and Lodging

Click Here to register online.

Click Here to download a printable registration form.

Click Here to download the schedule.

Lodging is available at the Hulbert Outdoor Center.
Cozy 4-bedroom heated cabins provide comfortable accommodations.  Each room has two sets of bunk beds to accommodate 2 or 4 people per room. You may also bring your own wall tent. Meals are served buffet style in the dining hall.

The following options are available when you register.

Registration - $78.00
Registration for students/low income - $45.00
Spoon Carving Sunday Workshop - $10.00

Meals & lodging package for the weekend (see registration form for details.)

"All meals" includes Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast.

Tent with all meals and snacks - $123.00
Tent with no meals/ with snacks - $48.00
Cabin Quad with all meals and snacks - $165
Cabin Double with all meals and snacks - $190.00
Commuter with no meals, with snacks - $38.00
Commuter with 3 meals, with snacks - $85.00

 

Here are some of the presentations for the 28th Wilderness Paddlers Gathering.

 

Willem Lange - The genius it took to invent the canoe.

 

A Red Canoe: The Legacy of Bill Mason

Becky Mason, daughter of Bill Mason the renowned canoeist and filmmaker, will present a tribute to her father at this year's Paddler's Gathering. Mason will share tales of what it was like growing up in a family passionate about canoeing and how it continues to shape and impact her life.

Behind the Camera with Ken Buck

Reid McLachlan remembers Ken Buck, Bill Mason's assistant and cameraman for many of his films, in this poignant and hilarious tribute. Follow the tale of how a soft-spoken English teacher ended up behind a camera for Canada's beloved canoeist and how he fell in love with the magic and art of film. 

 

Rob Mullen

"Trees & Tundra" Ungava's Northern Rim of the Boreal Forest
Two-part expedition focused on the treeline across the Ungava Peninsula including a traverse from Clearwater Lake to Kuujjuaq.

 

Murphy Robinson: The Land of Rice & Beaver:  A 250-mile subsistence canoe trip in Minnesota

A four-week traditional wild rice harvesting and processing camp, followed by a 32-day, 250-mile upstream paddle from MacGregor, MN to Pipestone Bay in the Boundary Waters.  We ate 100% wild food that we harvested and processed ourselves:  wild rice, apples, ramps, acorns, berries, whitefish, waterfowl, and beaver.  Our spices we harvested before the trip:  Sea salt, wild bergamot, and maple sugar.

 

William Fitzhugh: Completing the Circle: Travels with Adney and Chapelle in Northern Eurasia

Adney and Chapelle’s description of the native bark and skin watercrafts of North America, published by the Smithsonian, has been continuously in print since 1964. Harri Luukkanen and I decided it was high time to complete the global inventory by providing a description of the bark and skin boats of northern Eurasia, from Scandinavia to Bering Strait, and Alaska. We trace the earliest archaeological evidence, why there is so little of it, discuss origin theories, and the role boat played in more than 50 native cultures. After the invention of the human foot, small boat technology provided the means for humans to spread around the world, engaging in subsistence, commerce, war, and sport. The book will be published by Smithsonian and Random House in May 2020.

 

Chuck Horbert: Paddling Across Rhode Island: Traversing the Urban Wilderness

In 2014 Chuck Horbert and three companions became the first boaters to canoe and kayak across the State of Rhode Island in the modern age, following a mostly interior route. Over a 101 mile route that included 21 portages totaling 17 miles, the group encountered a variety of water conditions. Along the way, a number of public presentations and press events were held to promote reconnecting communities to their rivers and encouraging youths to find their own adventures.

 

Paul and Cynthia Stancioff: Low Tech, Low Cost, Low Key Canoe Trips

This presentation will reveal the elements of canoe trips that have satisfied the need to unwind, refresh, and restore body and mind through adequate challenge and effort—but also without unnecessary suffering! Focusing on trips to western Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park, a watery wilderness of 1,800 square miles, the Stancioffs will share their ideas about the simple gear, DYI planning, and low-cost, high-quality food that constitute a fulfilling wilderness canoe getaway of up to 12 days.

 

Hannah Marshall: Fostering Expeditionary Leadership, George River, Quebec

Traveling on the De Pas and George Rivers in an unusually rainy high water year, structure and support was given to young paddlers to develop their own leadership skills despite the harsh conditions.

 

Chris Giard: Crossing Labrador

Four friends set out to cross Labrador traveling 670 kilometers in 35 days. Travelling through some of the most spectacular landscape the province has to offer, paddling though some seldomly visited areas. In classic Labrador fashion they faced hordes of flies, mosquitos and more than their fair share of rain.

 

 

Some of the Workshops for the 2020 Paddlers Gathering:

 

Murphy Robinson: Breakout Session:  Making Jerky & Planning Wild Food Harvests

 

Becky Mason and Reid McLachlan

Group Activity
MATCH-IT! - the visual canoe-manoeuvers game ....pick a stroke and see where your canoe will to go. Have fun debating theories, trading strokes pieces, and discover the many ways to manoeuver a canoe more efficiently. After the strokes are on the cards it's time for the Big Reveal! Participants take turns defending their choice of strokes on the MATCH-IT cards.

 

Paul and Cynthia Stancioff: Route Planning and Meal Preparation on a 10-day Quetico Trip

This workshop will illustrate some of the myriad paths through the lacework of lakes in Quetico Provincial Park in western Ontario, with descriptions of the variety in geography and character of the lakes. It will also cover the topic of food planning, packing, foraging, and cooking which the presenters have developed over the years to optimize their indulgence in tasty meals.

 

Mark and Lisa Kutolowski - Traversing Developed Landscapes

Mark and Lisa will discuss the technical aspects of paddling through cities and urban landscapes.

 

Tim Smith – Learning & Teaching Essential Knots for the Wilderness Traveler

 

 

Silent Auction

Once again, we will be holding a Silent Auction to raise money that will go towards our Speakers Fund. This Auction is a step up from the Door Prizes so look for some items that are more valuable than what you would put on the Door Prize Table.

Please email Emma Carlson for further information.

 

Sunday Workshops

 

The Art Of Spoon carving with Ken Wise

Join wood carver and artist Ken Wise for a morning session on Spoon Carving. All tools and materials supplied. Just bring your enthusiasm and a hankering to learn.

Workshop, tools & materials fee - $10.00

 

Andy Staudinger: Modern Mapping for Curious Canoers

This workshop will be an exploration of modern tools for folks looking to undertake expeditions on non- traditional (or sometimes very traditional!) routes. This will tie in to our Minnesota trip, which was a mix of paddling under- utilized river systems and creative problem solving to link waterways. I'll give a short presentation and tutorial on the internet tools I use to plan trips, including tips to know where to camp in places that are not designated for camping. Participants will be encouraged to bring their own ideas to share and I would lead a discussion around how to plan a route for an un-orthodox trip.