National Conference 2009

The Green Entrepreneur of the Year award is given to an entrepreneur who has created a business around socially conscious or eco-friendly problems/issues. They show this through their dedication to providing a product or service in the surrounding communities by eco-friendly means. This award was meant to showcase individuals that are taking a responsible approach to the environment in light of the growing global epidemic. This entrepreneur has created a positive impact on the environment by changing conditions in order to let this happen or by revising previous practices that were harmful to the environment.

2009 Green Entrepreneurs of the Year:
• Scott Green
• Eden Full
• Tara Longo
• Thomas Kineshanko
• Mike Morrice

LEARN MORE: www.conference.impact.org

By Blair Cosgrove

A desk jockey looking for a real adventure tour – not solar showers and champagne at sunset – got more than he bargained for in northern Ontario.

We call it “the look." Half revulsion and half pity, it crosses the faces of our middle-aged friends when they learn that my partner and I, two Calgary city slickers, spent our past two Canada Days on backcountry canoe trips in the realm of our iconic moose, loons and beavers.

“No spa, no hot tub, no bison carpaccio?" friends ask. Afraid not. It's remote, rough and raw, we confess. But we don't tell them that on these trips we also indulge in luxuries like hot stone treatments (lying on a piece of sun-baked three-billion-year-old granite), aromatherapy (breathing the scent of pine and wood smoke) and revitalizing hydration therapy (a sunset swim in the warm waters of an untouched lake).

Scott Green knows about nature's full-service spa. He runs Green Adventures, a Kenora, Ont., company that has a lock on local guided vacations by canoe and kayak. Unlike other “adventure" tours, Green's aren't padded with amenities like solar showers or champagne at sunset. He lets nature do the pampering. In the Lake-of-the-Woods region, Green Adventures offers something different from the hundreds of fishing lodges that have kept the local economy afloat for generations. Though the number of lodges is declining, many still cater exclusively to the hook-and-bullet fraternity who come to view their wildlife from inside a bass boat stocked with cold Budweiser.

Seven years ago, Green saw an opportunity and began marketing affordable hands-on holidays for those who want a human-powered excursion into the forests, water and wildlife that extend for hundreds of kilometres in all directions. For us, he planned a five-day, 76-kilometre paddle along the Confusion and Sturgeon rivers, about 200 kilometres north of Kenora. We would canoe and Green would kayak through five lakes and three placid rivers long known by the Ojibwa and rediscovered about 350 years ago by voyageurs.

The magic began when our truck reached the “put in" point beside Confusion River. As if placed there by central casting, a massive moose was on location, its head underwater as it fed about 200 metres away. Into the 17-foot aluminum canoe we went, along with our dry bags, and into Green's hands went our fate. We began paddling quietly, gliding past lily pads and serenaded by a symphony of birdsong. The moose lifted its head and looked at us. Its sheer bulk was impressive, but so was the sound made by the torrent of water running off its rack. I swear it was enough to run a hydro generator. It made for the shore, its powerful chest creating a wake that would have swamped us had it turned our way, and strode into the forest.

Over the next five hours and eight kilometres, we encountered four more moose and the limit of our personal comfort zones. We negotiated rapids, logjams, rocks and rarely-used portage routes. We waded chest-deep in a river to push our canoe past a troublesome patch of whitewater. We unloaded and loaded our boats several times, once using a rope to lower them down a 20-foot rock face. We experienced fear, giddiness and pride. And we owed it all to our thirst for an unequivocal outdoor experience, and to this man who kept us safe while we quenched it. At our camp that night on Roger Lake, we reflected on this while Green fed us vegetable stir-fry, apple pie and tea.

Green said that each year his business grows as more people seek the experience we were having. “Everyone has an innate longing to be in nature," he explained while cleaning our dishes. “I want to be the medium that brings them to it. It's so good for the soul and we can't replicate it in any form, so we come out here."

Green spent years as a fishing guide at local fly-in lodges. Now, with an honours degree in outdoor recreation and geography from Lakehead University, plus wilderness, food safety, first aid and paddling certifications, he said Green Adventures will be his life's work. Clearly this strapping 29-year-old is in his element.

By morning, our nervousness was replaced with confidence and camaraderie. Green piled into our canoe with us and we paddled five kilometres to witness Right Lake's spectacular falls, a thundering wall of whitewater stretching 15 metres high and 30 metres across. It's a sight few people have seen. On our return to camp, we collected driftwood as campfire fuel. Then, on a gently turbulent chute of water that we had easily navigated the day before, the now-overloaded boat's front dipped. In a heartbeat, our canoe was underwater and the three of us, the firewood and the canoe drifted apart. The warm water (I later coined it “boreal bathwater") had a calming effect, but fear flashed through my mind. Were we safe? Could we get the boat back?

I waited for Green to shout the directions that would save us, but he did something better: He raised his waterproof camera and snapped pictures of his flummoxed, floating guests. We burst out laughing. Then, as Green retrieved the canoe and drained it on a rocky shoreline, we bobbed in the lake and frolicked like middle-aged kids at camp.

By day three, we felt like we had lived out there our whole lives. Fueled by a swagger you just don't get from strategic planning sessions or PowerPoints, we paddled along Sturgeon River past the sagging remains of a trapper's cabin, and under Fletcher Lake's 30-metre rock walls. We made camp on an unnamed island and enjoyed an orange and violet sunset reflected on a lake whose smooth surface began rippling with jumping fish for as far as the eye could see. All through the starry night, a loon and whippoorwill called, their duet punctuated by the tail slaps of a curious beaver circling our island. About 2 a.m., I looked about the campsite, and saw hundreds of brilliant fireflies floating silently, like helpful spirits. A look crossed my face: half bliss, half wonder, it was the expression of someone who has become a regular at the world's most laughably affordable luxury spa.

Green Adventures nature-based tour company: Lake of the Woods, Kenora, Ont.; 807-407-8683

How to get there
› By air: Fly to Winnipeg on most major airlines, and take a connecting flight to Kenora through Bearskin Airlines (1-800-465-2327; www.bearskinairlines.com). Bearskin departs from many northern towns in Manitoba and Ontario, including Ottawa.
› By train: Via Rail does not stop in Kenora, but you can disembark in Redditt or Minaki and take a taxi to Kenora.
› By special arrangement Green Adventures will provide transport from Winnipeg.

What to bring: Each trip is tailored to the customers' abilities, but in all cases Green Adventures supplies tents, canoes or kayaks, paddles, life jackets, sleeping bags, dry bags, satellite phone, first aid kit, etc. Customers must bring clothing and personal items sufficient for a range of weather and terrain.

› click on the article to enlarge

By Sarah Brose

“There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” With Scott Green’s attitude, it would be impossible for anyone to do anything but embrace Northwestern Ontario’s extreme climate, and as he stated, “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” I didn’t doubt him for a second.

A born and raised Kenoraite, Scott Green is sticking to his roots by making a career that encompasses everything he grew up with. “There are so many opportunities that can come from staying around Kenora and Northwestern Ontario and making a go at it,” he states With his self-titled company Green Adventures, Green is offering kayaking and canoe trips, rock climbing day adventures, fishing trips, personal kayak lessons and rentals and children’s camps and wilderness first aid courses. Green founded the company eight years ago after working at an out-of-town resort camp. Realizing it was more than plausible to do the same thing in Kenora, Green slowly transformed his passions into a business that quickly became a great success.

“It’s been great meeting so many interesting people and having the opportunity to see this amazing country every summer.” Green is an incredibly knowledgeable CRCA level 1 flatwater instructor who has just finished up a joint four-year degree in Outside Recreation, Parks and Tourism and Geography from Lakehead University. As the only one of its kind in Canada, Lakehead’s program offers a unique integration of theoretical and applied perspectives which emphasize the study of recreational activities and leisure pursuits related to and dependent upon the natural environment.’

Literally located within minutes of world class recreational resources, Green was able to enhance his knowledge and perfect his skills on an array of outdoor activities unique to Northern Ontario. With a home-base in Kenora, Green Adventures offers top of the line equipment for daily kayak rentals. Spontaneity is encouraged as rentals require no heavy planning. With a quick phone call, kayaks can be delivered and picked up on site, complete with life jacket, paddles and any other necessary safety gear.

Never paddled before? Green offers beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons in kayaking. Embark on a day trip to Coney Island and receive a safe instructional lesson on the shallow shores of Anicinabe Beach followed by a trip out to Coney. The trip has been popular, especially among high school students.

Take a little more time off and embark on one of Green’s deluxe all-inclusive guided trips. From family excursions to bachelor parties to an adventure with friends, Green will carefully plan an experience entirely unique to his group. “Usually people come to me and tell me what they want and I create something based on that. I work hard to personalize every adventure.”

Although no trip is the same and Green has guided people from all walks of life — from celebrities, locals, business millionaires and children — Green has noticed how quickly everyday labels become irrelevant. “It’s an equal playing field out in the bush. You really get to know people out there. The land really does bring people together.” Trips can be as relaxed and luxurious or as daring and venturesome as you like. All equipment needed for your trip is provided. Green will take care of sleeping bags, mattresses, tents and food, although if you want to bring any of your own equipment, you’re more than welcome. “You could literally just show up,” Green ensures. If it’s comfort you’re after, sit back and enjoy the landscape — Green is happy to take care of any transportation of equipment, setting up of camp and meal preparation. “They’re on vacation, I’m working!” Green points out with an enthusiasm that follows a “live to work” rather than a “work to live” train of thought. Midst all the fun, Green is highly aware of the responsibility he holds, maintaining a firm grasp of his number one priority.

“The key concern in safety,” Green ensures as he points out he must adhere to a strict ratio of one certified instructor for every six campers. Most recently Green took a group from Calgary out on a 5-day trek where they paddled 76 kilometres catching countless fish, spotting five moose, foxes, eagles and just about every other native critter you could think of along the way. “These guys wanted adventure, so I gave it to them,” Green said with a smile. Thanks to Kenora and tourism centres across Canada, Green has been able to get his name out there and speak to people outside of Northwestern Ontario.

Take your adventure to all new heights with a day of unforgettable rockclimbing. Green takes out a maximum of six people at a time for an experience like no other. Green encourages anyone and everyone to get out and experience a fun, safe, and convenient way for people of all abilities to experience the unique qualities of Northwestern Ontario, and more specifically, Kenora. With a solid understanding of Kenora’s potential, Green foresees much room for change in the future. “Kenora is going to be the next tourism hotspot, so people should start getting out there now, before it gets too busy,” Green states.

Future aspirations include breaking the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest raft-up. “If anyone wants to help organize it, contact me!” With over 14,000 islands and 65,000 miles of shoreline, the Lake of the Woods vacation area continues to provide countless adventures for everyone. Whether you’re interested in pumping some adrenaline or basking in the sun, Green Adventures will cater to your every need with an experience that will last a lifetime. Visit www.GreenAdventures.ca or join Green Adventures Facebook group for more information.