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PODCAST

The Backroads Bill Podcast

It’s time to hit the backroads of Northern Ontario and beyond with Backroads Bill! Tune in every Wednesday to explore the history and beauty of Northern Ontario. Alongside host and producer Ben, Bill (who is the founder and the GM of the Canadian Ecology Centre) goes more in depth to the stories he has been sharing for years on CBC Radio and Village Media.Whether it’s a “day-trip” “overnight-trip” or “Sunday drive” you will discover your next great adventure!Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram:

history

All Episodes

36:53

ALIVE Outdoors 25 Years In and Still Changing Lives...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/12/17

Twenty-five years ago, Jalynn Bosley left the traditional classroom to create something different. What started with a backpack, a few brave students, and a belief in the power of nature grew into Alive Outdoors, a nationally recognized outdoor education program.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Jalynn shares how Alive Outdoors began, why she believes outdoor experiences are essential for personal growth, and what she has learned from a career built on trust, challenge, and

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33:55

Snowmobiles Then and Now: A Life on the Trails with...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/12/10

Steve Hayward has spent most of his life on a snowmobile.He’s been a big part of Ontario’s snowmobile community. From helping to create SnowTrax to working closely with clubs and trail groups, Steve has seen how the sport has grown and what it’s up against today.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Steve shares stories from the trail, talks about how snowmobiling has changed over the years, and opens up about the challenges that clubs and riders are facing now.He also reflects on what

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41:53

Sudbury’s Green Revolution and the People Behind It

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/12/03

There was a time when flying into Sudbury felt like landing on the moon. The landscape was bare, the rock was black, and the air was thick with the effects of decades of mining and smelting.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Sarah Woods and Dr. Peter Beckett, two key voices in the story of Sudbury’s re-greening movement. They share how a damaged landscape was brought back to life with shovels, seeds, and the determination of a community that believed things could grow

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36:31

Surfing Lake Superior and Teaching in the Wild with...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/11/26

Chris Dube isn’t your average teacher. He surfs the waves of Lake Superior, teaches outdoor education in Terrace Bay, and believes deeply in the power of getting students outside and into the wild.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Chris shares what it's like to ride cold waves on Canada’s biggest lake and how those same waters inspire his work in the classroom.He talks about growing up in Northern Ontario, why community matters, and how education and adventure go hand in hand.6:10 –

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35:07

No Wi-Fi, Just Wilderness: Finding Friendship on the...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/11/19

When three seasoned paddlers invited a first-time canoeist from France to join them on a backcountry trip, none of them knew just how memorable it would be.In this episode we sit down with Claire and Catherine to hear the story of their journey down the Spanish River. They share what it’s like to travel off the grid, sleep under the stars, and form strong friendships without phones, timelines, or distractions.0:00 – Intro5:00 – Claire’s move from France to Canada9:00 – Planning a remote river

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40:19

Diving to the Edmund Fitzgerald with Ric Mixter:...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/11/12

Most people know the Edmund Fitzgerald from the song. But few have actually seen the wreck with their own eyes.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, shipwreck diver and storyteller Ric Mixter shares what it was really like to visit the bottom of Lake Superior and come face to face with one of Canada’s most haunting maritime disasters. He talks about what he saw down there, how the dive changed him, and why some parts of the story still don’t have answers.We also get into Gordon Lightfoot’s

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46:31

The Real Gah-Ning: How a Letter to Robert Munsch...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/11/05

You may know the name Gah-Ning from the classic Robert Munsch book "Where is Gah-Ning?", but the real story behind the character is even better.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Gah-Ning herself to talk about how a simple letter to a beloved children's author turned into a storybook character, a lifelong friendship, and a connection that still means everything decades later.She shares what it was like to grow up in Hearst, how her Chinese-Canadian identity shaped her

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40:27

The Town at the Center of Ontario

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/10/29

Hornepayne is the kind of place you might pass on a map and not think twice. But what if you found out it’s actually the geographic center of Ontario?In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Mayor Cheryl Fort shares how the town is leaning into that identity and turning it into something meaningful.She talks about Hornepayne’s railway roots, the challenges of being remote, and the pride that comes from building trails, drawing visitors, and putting your community back on the map.0:00 – Welcome

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38:13

The Rocks That Glow in the Dark: Discovering...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/10/22

They look like regular rocks during the day. But when the sun goes down and the UV light comes out, they start to glow like lava.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we meet Ray Gionet, a rockhound who has been hunting Yooperlites along the shores of Lake Superior.He shares how he first discovered these glowing stones, what they actually are, and why people are traveling from all over to find them.0:00 Intro to Yooperlites and how people find them5:45 Ray’s first glow rock discovery12:30

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34:08

Life at Shooting Star Camp Off the Grid and On the...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/10/15

At just 23 years old, Cameron Welch is running a remote wilderness camp deep in Northern Ontario. It’s called Shooting Star Camp, and it sits along the Spanish River in a place secluded from the bustle of city life.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Cameron shares what it’s like to live and work off the grid. He talks about buying the same camp he once worked at as a teenager, learning to maintain old cabins, and welcoming guests who paddle in looking for something real.Find out more

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40:22

Telling Canada’s Story by Rail with CBC’s Melody...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/10/08

The railway helped build Canada, but it also holds stories that don’t always make it into the history books. In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, CBC producer Melody Jacobson joins us to talk about her work on a new CBC special that dives into the history of trains in Canada.From the role of sleeping car porters to the impact on Indigenous communities to rock concerts that rolled across the country, Melody shares what she learned along the way.Listen when it goes live here:

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51:28

Canada’s Greatest Unknown Explorer: Adam Shoalts...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/10/01

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, explorer and author Adam Shoalts returns to share one of the most fascinating stories you've probably never heard.It's the true story of Hubert Darrell, a Canadian solo explorer who vanished in the remote north nearly 100 years ago. Most people have never heard his name, yet his influence was felt throughout history books.Adam walks us through how he stumbled across Darrell's story, what he uncovered on the ground, and why some mysteries stay buried for

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52:39

The Story Behind Vis-à-Vis: North Bay in Deed & Tale

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/09/24

What happens when one man sits down with 44 people to tell the story of an entire city?In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, longtime pillar of the North Bay community Peter Handley shares the inspiration behind his newest book, Vis-à-Vis: North Bay in Deed & Tale.We talk about how the project came together, how he chose who to interview, what surprised him most, and why capturing local stories is more important than ever.0:00 Intro5:15 How the book’s title and concept came to be9:00

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36:44

Hunting for Purple Gold in Northern Ontario

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/09/17

People come to Thunder Bay for the views, but many leave with pockets full of purple.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we head into the hills above Lake Superior to visit Amethyst Mine Panorama. Owner Tim Lukinuk shares how his family turned a glint of purple in the dirt into a destination that draws visitors from around the world. We talk about the history of the mine, what makes Thunder Bay amethyst so unique, and why people are still showing up with buckets and rock hammers after all

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43:51

Finding Adventure in the Backcountry with the...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/09/10

Some of the best canoe routes in Canada aren’t in guidebooks. They’re shared around campfires, passed on through stories, and kept alive by the people who paddle them.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Eberly and Robert James of the Wilderness Canoe Association to talk about what it really means to explore the backcountry. They share their favourite trips, the friendships they’ve built along the way, and how the club helps new paddlers find confidence and

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50:25

6 Days, 1000 Miles, Top Finish: Inside Sean and...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/09/03

In their first interview, Sean Lougheed and Lauren Andersen were preparing to paddle 1000 miles through the Yukon wilderness in the world’s longest and toughest canoe race.Now they’re back, and they’ve done it. In just six days and 22 hours, they paddled over 1,000 miles, slept only a few hours a night, and landed a top-three finish.In this follow-up episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Sean and Lauren talk about what really happened out there. From exhaustion and hallucinations to wildlife,

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38:51

From Fugitive to Folk Hero: The True Story of the...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/08/27

Long before northern Ontario had highways or hashtags, there was Joe LaFlamme. He ran liquor through the bush with dog teams, tamed wolves, and somehow became a national celebrity.Suzanne Charron, author of "Wolf Man Joe Laflamme: Tamer Untamed", shares Joe’s wild story. It starts with him dodging the law and living off the land, but it doesn’t end there. Joe became a performer, a public figure, and a legend.In towns like Gogama and Kapuskasing, people still remember the man who rode through town

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65:39

Why Nature Still Yells at This Northern Ontario Artist

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/08/20

For more than 50 years, Clermont Duval has been painting the North. His work captures the spirit of the land, the wildlife, and the quiet moments most people miss. But for Clermont, nature isn’t quiet. It speaks to him. Sometimes it yells.In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Clermont shares stories from a life in art and in nature. He talks about his early years painting wolves and canoes, what it's like to paint in complete silence, and why he still feels surprised every time someone

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50:00

This Young Guide Is Making Northern Ontario an...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/08/13

At just 22 years old, Mylène started Follow Her North, a guiding company that’s turning Northern Ontario into a place where people come for adventure and stay for connection. She leads everything from snowshoe hikes to getting you the right supplies for your adventure, helping people slow down and reconnect with the land. In this episode, she shares how she turned her love for the outdoors into a business, what it's like being a young woman in the guiding world, and why she believes nature is the

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46:42

A Love Not Forgotten: The Story of the Canadian...

The Backroads Bill Podcast ·

2025/08/06

100 episodes of the Backroads Bill Podcast has seen Bill and Ben talk to a number of high profile and educated guests focused on the outdoors, nature and Northern Ontario.For episode 100 Bill talks about the Canadian Ecology Center. How it started and how it turned into the hub for education and outdoor events that it is today.Bill also looks to the future following the devastating downburst earlier this summer and how the Canadian Ecology Center will come back stronger than ever!

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119 results

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