Hap Wilson joins the show this week. Hap is an award winning author, artist, photographer and conservationist. He has created a number of guidebooks that charted different waterways in Ontario and created the company Eco Trailbuilders to help safely build trails that are enjoyed by thousands every year. 

Hap also worked with famous actor Pierce Bronson and even taught him to paddle a canoe but also butted heads with him and the producers while working on the film Grey Owl over inaccuracies. 


You can check out Hap’s website here: https://hapwilson.com/ 


 
Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

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Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

Bill and Ben are joined by Mitch Azaria who is the Executive Producer of TVO’s latest documentary ‘Tripping the French River’.

Mitch shares some behind the scenes to how they created this unique view of one of Canada’s greatest waterways. 


You can check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTrDkTH3WJo&ab_channel=TVOTodayDocs 

You can watch it on April 21st at 8pm on TVO’s youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tvo 

And TVO’s website: https://www.tvo.org/ 

 
Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho



Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer

Producer: Ben Sargent

Produced by Clark Communications

Bill and Ben are joined by longtime North Bay resident and pillar of the community Peter Handley. They take a look at a couple of books he will be releasing in the next year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of North Bay. 
Peter shares what North Bay meant for him and the differences in the history of a city like North Bay vs his hometown of Kingston.

 
Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

Bill and Ben are joined by Bernie Moseley-Williams to talk about a recent trip Bernie and Bill went on to the Grande Chute.

They discuss the perfect time to go waterfall watching and how they ended up getting stuck and had to get creative to get free.

 
Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_bill
and on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

Dana Starkell and Chris Forde join the show to talk about Dana and his father Don’s 2 year long trip via canoe from Winnipeg all the way to the Amazon River in Brazil.
Chris created a documentary to give a different perspective on the events that Don wrote about and Dana revisits the crazy journey they went on dealing with both treacherous waters and trecherous land.
Visit their website to learn more: https://www.paddletotheamazon.com 

You can also check out Chris’ documentary for free here: https://tubitv.com/movies/100012025/paddle-to-the-amazon
 
 
Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

Adam Shoalts joins the podcast to talk about his novel “Alone Against the North” and his journey that has culminated in him being one of the greatest explorers of Canada.

Adam is a 4 time best selling author and has led many expeditions including for the Royal Canadian Geological Society.


Find out more about Adam here: https://adamshoalts.com/  
 
Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

This week Bill and Ben explore one of the best vistas in our province that is just in our backyard the Devil’s Rock.

Bill tells the history of how it got it’s name and the Indigenous history behind it. He also talks about the inspiration it had on the author of The Hardy Boys.
 

Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_bill
and on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

This week Bill and Ben explore some of the most famous tunnels that were built in the late 1800s for our railway system in Canada.

Bill gives his 3 favourite tunnels that you can visit and gives some context and history of the importance of these tunnels and how they were created.




Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

Dr Jonathan Pitt, a professor at Nipissing University teaching Indigenous studies, joins Bill on location from the Home and Garden Expo that took place this past weekend.

They talk about pictographs, spirituality and the tricksters/little people. Dr. Pitt shares the stories that are passed down from family to family and shares an important message of the history that shaped this land long ago.

Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_bill
and on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer
Producer: Ben Sargent
Produced by Clark Communications

Famed author Dr James Raffan joins the podcast this week to talk to Bill and Ben about outdoor education.

They focus mostly on James’ novel “Deep Waters” which tells the story of the Timiskaming canoe tragedy. 12 students and 1 young adult leader lost their lives on a school trip in 1978. James also discusses his latest trip around the northern pole of the world that inspired his novel “Ice Walker”.



Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_billand on Twitter: @steertonorthONT

To explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho

Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill Steer

Producer: Ben Sargent

Produced by Clark Communications