Crew -to date

I am pleased to report that Bob Rebagliati has indeed joined with Bob Rieder and myself to paddle that section between Fort Frances, Ontario through Quetico Provincial Park to its north western boundary at French Lake and the portal where the trail crosses Highway 11. We estimate it will take two weeks of paddling from July 15 through July 29. I am very excited to have these two venerable men join me.

I have known Bob Rieder since the fall of 1987 when we met on the playing fields of North Vancouver as our sons played Minor football in the Gordon Sturtridge Football League. My first encounter was being introduced to him with my son Strachan as the coach of the Browns to which my son had been designated. One practice later my son and a few "castoffs" were relegated to form a new team under my tutelage. That first season we paled badly in comparison to the Browns led admirably and skillfully by Bob's son Eric. Besides having been so badly duped by the relegation :), Bob and I have had continuing ties since then -not the least of which is that our sons both subsequently played junior and senior football for Handsworth Secondary School Royals. Just to complete the loop, Eric Rieder met us in Dawson, Yukon after our trip down the Yukon River from Whitehorse last summer. Fortunately for us he was working as a pilot out of Dawson for the summer and took us on a fuel supply run out to a mining camp on his twin engine Britten-Norman Islander aircraft and later also flew us back to Whitehorse (what a day!).

Although Bob Rebagliati was to me more of a friend and a neighbour in North Vancouver, he also ran the highly rated music program at Handsworth. While none of my children were able to meet the high standards of the music program, they benefited indirectly by the ecletic environment provided by the music, drama, and cultural make up of the school. Bob also worked on a staff which included my wife Mary Ann who toiled in the counselling department. On an extended trip, not only is Bob a great debunker of the whiskeys we drink and cigars we smoke, he is also a wonderful conversationalist and raconteur. Having retired from teaching, he keeps his interest in music development by judging at jazzz festivals and in his role of conductor of various local orchestras. A more complete bio will be filed at a later date.

Handsworth is also central to this story of paddling across Canada because, not only did 8 of our combined children go to school together there, it is also the hub of the annual 10 km and 5 km Strachan Hartley Legacy Run held in October which is a critical fund raiser for the Foundation (http://www.shlf.ca/). This October will be the sixth running and our succes at this event allows us to give an annual scholarship to the Handsworth graduating student who most combines accademics, sport and citizenship, as well as make  healthy donations to Vancouver based Take a Hike and Streetfront youth and athletic organizations.