Founder of Canada by Canoe, Will (23) has been guiding trips for Taylor Statten Camps since 2019. Route-maker and navigator, Will has devoted the last five years to developing and perfecting his vision for Canada by Canoe. This trip will take an entirely unique inland path across Canada from sea to sea. Will is renowned for his unique ability to navigate successfully using traditional techniques, modern techniques, or even merely off instinct and memory. In 2023, Will successfully navigated a record 22h59m time across the 162 km Brent Run loop, half of which was completed in utter darkness without use of a map. Will has 338 days of canoe tripping experience, and was also the route-planner and navigator on Canoe4Covid. Will is completing a BMath at TMU, and has his Bronze Cross, Wilderness First Aid, and Red Cross Psych certifications.
Co-founder of Canada by Canoe, Nolan is 23 years old and, like both Will and Georges, has been guiding trips for Taylor Statten Camps since 2019. Nolan has completed 204 days of trip, including the 60-day Canoe4Covid trip, a 19-day trip on the Kesagami River and a 21-day trip on the Moisie River. Alongside Will Vyse, Nolan completed the 162 km Brent Run route in a record 22h59m. Nolan holds a BSc in Environmental Science from Dalhousie University, is Bronze Cross certified, Wilderness Advanced First Aid certified, and Red Cross Psych certified.
Co-founder of Canada by Canoe, Georges is 23 years old and has been at Taylor Statten Camps for 13 years, 5 of which has been as a staff member. He has completed over 250 days of canoe trip including 60 days on Canoe4Covid, as well as a 50 day and a 42 day trip with Taylor Statten Camps. Georges has also guided world class whitewater rivers across Canada from Quebec to British Columbia. Outside of canoe trip Georges is a member of the Mount Washington terrain park crew on Vancouver Island. He is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, Tandem Canoe Instructor, Moving Water Canoe Instructor, Sea Kayak Instructor, Level 3 Swift Water Rescue Technician, and a Leave No Trace Master Educator.
It all began in 2020 with six high school students and an ambitious project called Canoe4Covid. With the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, Will, Georges, Nolan, Cailan, Jacob, and Tim embarked upon a 60-day canoe trip across Ontario to raise funds for COVID-19 relief. They travelled over 2000 kilometres through the rugged and remote wilderness, documenting it all on YouTube and Instagram. With an initial goal of $60,000, the trip was a wild success and ended up raising over $87,000 for Food Banks Canada.
In the spring of 2021, after Canoe4Covid, Canada by Canoe founder Will Vyse was looking at maps and began to consider the prospect of a follow up trip. He researched previous large canoe trips and an idea started to form. What if instead of crossing a single province, he could cross the country? This incredible feat had already been accomplished a handful of times in the past; however, Will wanted to do it differently. What if busy waterways and large cities could be avoided? What if canoeists didn't need to walk for days on highways to get through the Rockies? After a year developing a rough draft of a more northern cross-country route, he approached his close friends and fellow canoeing enthusiasts: Georges Kirijian and Nolan Aziz. Without hesitation, they joined him, throwing their complete commitment into the project and marking the birth of Canada by Canoe.
If you like what we're doing, please follow our journey @canadabycanoe on Instagram and Facebook!
If you'd like to support the cause, you can donate to True North Aid on our donation page, or you can share our project on any social media platform! If you're interested in sponsoring us and helping to make this trip happen, please contact us by email at canadabycanoecontact@gmail.com.