The Backroads Bill Podcast

On this episode of Backroads Bill, we connect with a trucker whose journey spans continents. Sludge one of the stars of the Netflix series Outback Truckers, joins the show while passing through Northern Ontario after filming on the winter roads along the James Bay coast.

Known for hauling freight across the harsh landscapes of Australia, Sludge found himself facing a completely different challenge: driving heavy trucks through deep cold, snow, and ice in the far north.

In this conversation, Sludge shares how he first became part of the long-running television series, what it was like trading Australia’s heat for temperatures below –30°C, and how the winter road system compares to the remote dirt roads he knows so well from the Outback.

We also hear about the people he met along the way, the culture of trucking across different parts of the world, and why Northern Ontario left such a strong impression on him.

0:00 – Introducing Sludge from Outback Truckers
3:21 – How Sludge Got Started on the TV Series
9:58 – Experiencing Northern Ontario’s Extreme Cold
14:43 – Ice Roads vs Australian Outback Driving
20:21 – Northern Lights & Final Reflections from the North

On this episode of Backroads Bill, we head north to the shores of Lake Superior to meet Kim Asmussen, known to many as the “Snowshoe Art Guy.”

Instead of a paintbrush and canvas, Kim uses snowshoes and wide open winter landscapes to create massive geometric designs and images in the snow that can only truly be appreciated from above Kim shares how a simple idea turned into a unique form of outdoor art.

What started with one triangle in a schoolyard has grown into intricate patterns across frozen lakes and fields. Using tape measures, compasses, and careful planning, he walks out designs step by step in deep snow before capturing the final work with drone photography.

Find out more about Kim on socials:

https://www.facebook.com/kim.asmussen.779 
https://www.instagram.com/snowshoeartguy/


0:00 – Introducing the Snowshoe Art Guy
3:58 – How Snowshoe Art Began
11:07 – The Perfect Conditions for Snow Art
18:07 – Creating Art in Grass for the PGA
21:32 – From Forestry to Snowshoe Artist

On this episode of Backroads Bill, we welcome in professors at Burman University Kevin Kiers and Tim Buttler to talk about their new book, Outdoor Experiential Learning in Canada. It brings together educators from across the country to share how they are taking learning beyond the classroom and into the real world.

Kevin and Tim share their own stories, from childhood adventures in rivers and mountains to years spent teaching students outside. What comes through clearly is that outdoor learning is not a trend. It is something that sticks with you. The experiences students have outside often become the lessons they remember most.

Learn more about their book here: https://canadianscholars.ca/book/outdoor-experiential-learning-in-canada/

0:00 – Intro
5:05 – Kevin’s Outdoor Education Journey
11:08 – How the Book Came Together
18:29 – Outdoor Learning Across Canada
32:25 – The Book’s Legacy & What’s Next

On this episode of Backroads Bill, we step away from our usual backroads stories to focus on something that affects every community: our local schools.

School board trustees are elected by their neighbours to help guide budgets, set direction, and serve as the voice between families and the education system. It is a role built on community service, not politics. With several boards now under provincial supervision and possible changes ahead, the future of elected trustees in Ontario is uncertain.

We’re joined by Stephanie Donaldson of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, and a former trustee herself, to talk about what trustees actually do, why they matter, and what could be lost if those local voices disappear.


6:47 – What School Board Trustees Actually Do
11:05 – Bill 33 and Expanded Ministerial Powers
17:42 – Public Response and What People Can Do
25:49 – Leadership, Democracy & What’s at Stake

In this episode of Backroads Bill, we sit down with world-renowned botanist, medical biochemist and author Diana Beresford-Kroeger.

Diana shares her extraordinary journey growing up in Ireland and having ancient wisdom passed down to her. She then studied to become a scientist with two PhDs who has spent decades studying the chemistry of trees and their direct connection to human health.

She explains how the forests do far more than provide beauty and oxygen. Trees release natural compounds into the air that support our immune systems, protect our bodies, and quite literally help us breathe easier.

0:00 Intro
4:47 Childhood Visions and Early Connection to Trees
18:29 The Science: How Tree Aerosols Impact Human Health
29:46 Cutting Through Wellness Noise with Real Science
39:21 One Tree a Year: A Global Call to Action

Science does not just live in textbooks. It lives in stories, curiosity, and the ability to make people care.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Dr. David Pearson. Dr. Pearson was the founding Director at Science North and a longtime professor at Laurentian University.

We dive into science communication and it's importance, the importance of science centers like Science North, and how making science fun and hands on will help inspire the next generation of scientists.

00:03 Meet Dr. David Pearson  
06:34 Sudbury’s Regreening Success  
12:16 How Science North Got Started  
24:13 Teaching Climate Change Early  
41:10 Creating the Science Communication Master’s Program

Leadership in Northern Ontario looks different. It means knowing your community, earning trust, and making tough decisions in places where resources are limited and expectations are high.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with two Northern Ontario mayors, Michelle Boileau of Timmins and Cheryl Fort of Hornepayne, to talk about what it’s really like to lead as a woman in local politics.

They share their paths into public office, the challenges they’ve faced, and why representation matters in towns and cities across the North.

5:37 Cheryl Fort’s path to becoming mayor of Hornepayne
8:00 Michelle Boileau on leadership, representation, and returning north
17:03 How the Northern Ontario Women’s Association was created
31:50 Barriers women still face in politics and what needs to change
49:57 Final reflections on leadership, resilience, and the future

When Project Grizzly was first filmed, no one could have predicted the impact it would have decades later. What started as a story about a man building a bear suit in his backyard has become a cult documentary with a lasting place in Canadian film history.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, filmmaker Peter Lynch reflects on making Project Grizzly, working alongside Troy Hurtubise, and capturing a story driven by obsession, curiosity, and risk.

Learn more about the upcoming 30th anniversary screening here: https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/project-grizzly



3:32 First meeting Troy Hurtubise and filming in his backyard
7:25 Shaping Troy as a character and embracing obsession
16:38 Quentin Tarantino discovers Project Grizzly
29:49 Reflecting on Troy’s legacy and the film’s lasting impact

Troy Hurtubise was a larger than life character who was obsessed with creating the next big invention. One of the inventions that defined him was the bear suit which was famously featured in the film "Project Grizzly".

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we explore Troy’s story through the eyes of someone who knew him best, his son Brett. We talk about the obsession that drove him, the risks he took, and the line between genius and self-destruction. 


0:00 Introducing Troy Hurtubise and Project Grizzly
5:23 Building and testing the bear suits
14:27 Life after Project Grizzly and relentless invention
26:57 Obsession, burnout, and the cost of never stopping
44:20 Legacy, reflection, and what Troy left behind

At White Pines Collegiate & Vocational School in Sault Ste. Marie, school doesn’t look like it used to.

 Alongside classrooms and hallways, students are learning trades, building real skills, and even running a working chocolate factory.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we step inside White Pines to explore how the school is rethinking education. Principal Jennifer Barbeau and former student Josh Sidwell share why hands on learning, creativity, and multiple pathways matter, especially in Northern Ontario where one size does not fit all.


1:58 Why White Pines is rethinking traditional education 
7:25 Josh’s journey from student to site supervisor
14:05 Indigenous culture and inclusion at White Pines
23:23 Teaching business and entrepreneurship in trades
38:29 The chocolate factory and school store story
43:57 Why this school represents the future of education