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.
PAULSEN, BEAR – At the age of one-and-a-half, Bear’s parents introduced him to the BWCA. Throughout childhood, he made yearly family trips to Northwest Ontario. As an adult, he’s paddled extensively in Ontario, Manitoba, and the BWCA, as well as trips in Saskatchewan, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon. An avid winter camper too, he’s spent four years of his adult life hiding from the real world in tents and under tarps in all seasons. When his son, Dashwa, was born it seemed only logical to show him how to hide from the real world too. Though only one year old, Dashwa has already accompanied Bear and his wife, Claire, on fall paddling and winter camping trips in the BWCA and spent 21 days paddling Manitoba’s Hayes River. Arriving at York Factory on Hudson Bay meant the blade of Dashwa’s first paddle could be branded with the YF insignia.