35th Wilderness & Canoe Symposium www.wcsymposium.com 21-22 February, 2020 York University Toronto This annual symposium is a mid-winter gathering of kindred spirits in search of knowledge and a sense of place. Its purpose is to educate and remind us of how sacred, fragile, and endangered the remaining natural wilderness areas are, and to celebrate wilderness experiences in our northern Canadian habitat. Each speaker offers a unique perspective on far-ranging topics that include subjects such as ecology, First Nations, guiding, history, unique trips, conservation, etc.
BAILEY, ERIKA – has canoed all her life, a gift taught to her immigrant parents by her Poppa – Omond Solandt. She is Lead Coordinator, Career Exploration at the University of Toronto. In her spare time, she is a writer, dancer, gardener, and urban bicyclist. Her book, Paddling as Place: Experiential Learning of Place and Ecological Identity – is a narrative research on how canoe trip stories impact and shape people's ecological identity and practices.
GUSEV, ALEKSANDAR – “...is the man with a largest family in Serbian community. His close family is over a thousand strong, and extended family numbers few thousands. Aleks managed what no political or church clique managed - to herd over a thousand Serbians without marketing, motivational speeches or pork on a spit - he’s an institution!” - Nebojsa Djekic (Mi Magazin). Past Chair of Wilderness Canoe Association, Editor of Nastawgan magazine, and principal organizer of Wilderness and Canoe Symposium, I started paddling late in life and now I’m making up for the lost time with a vengeance. In my “spare” time, I organize popular group ski trips and paddling expeditions to far corners of the globe. I’m passionate about creating magical moments in people’s lives.