The Backroads Bill Podcast

For decades, Sudbury was known around the world for environmental damage. The land was scarred, the air was polluted, and few people believed recovery was possible. One person who saw something different was Jane Goodall.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Dr John Gunn to talk about how Sudbury became an unlikely symbol of environmental hope. He shares how science, community action, and long-term commitment helped restore the land and why Jane Goodall believed this Northern Ontario city had a story worth telling to the world.

0:00 Intro
5:30 What Sudbury looked like before recovery
11:45 The science behind the re greening effort
18:30 Jane Goodall’s connection to Sudbury
25:15 Why this story became a symbol of hope
32:30 Lessons Sudbury offers the rest of the world

Every year, Santa flies over Northern Ontario. He sees the lakes, the rivers, the towns, and the backroads most people never notice.

This time, we asked him to stop and answer a few questions. In this special christmas eve episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Santa joins us to talk about Northern Ontario history, geography, folklore, and some familiar stories from past episodes of the show.

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 connection.

0:00 – Intro
3:10 – How Jalynn's name and journey shaped her path
6:00 – Leaving teaching to follow a new direction
12:00 – Taking students beyond Canada to learn through travel
17:30 – A powerful conversation with a 10-year-old in Bhutan
21:00 – Resilience, anxiety, and the value of discomfort
26:20 – How outdoor education has changed in 25 years
29:10 – Teaching life skills beyond screens and routines
33:00 – Gratitude, growth, and building a community that lasts

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 snowmobiling means to Northern communities and why it's still worth fighting for.


0:00 Intro
4:20 Steve's first snowmobile
7:50 Creation of SnowTrax
11:20 Challenges for today's snowmobilers
20:00 Shorter seasons and warmer weather?
28:30 Favourite rides in Ontario
36:00 Sled Ed
41:00 Shooting video while hanging out of an airplane

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 again.

0:00 Intro
5:20 The moment re-greening began
10:30 How science and community came together
16:15 What it took to bring back the trees
22:40 Changing perceptions of Sudbury
28:50 What the world is learning from this project
35:00 The future of the re-greening movement

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 – Discovering surf on Lake Superior
12:45 – Why surfing became more than just a hobby
18:30 – Teaching outdoor education in Terrace Bay
24:50 – How he builds community through nature
31:00 – Surfboards, snowshoes, and what’s next

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 – Intro
5:00 – Claire’s move from France to Canada
9:00 – Planning a remote river adventure
13:00 – Campfires, cooking, and connection
17:00 – Riding the Budd Car into the wild
22:00 – Why the Spanish River left a mark
27:00 – Lessons learned and what comes next

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 famous ballad, what the song got right, what it missed, and how the real story continues to evolve almost 50 years later.


Check out Ric's book Tattletale Sounds here: https://shipwreckmuseum.com/product/tattletale-sounds-the-edmund-fitzgerald-investigations-book/


0:00 – Intro
5:30 – How the dive to the Fitzgerald came together
11:00 – What it felt like to see the wreck up close
17:00 – Exploring the site and what they discovered
23:00 – Breaking down the truth behind the song
30:00 – New tools that are changing shipwreck exploration
36:00 – Interviews with crew families and survivors
42:00 – What the wreck still hasn’t told us

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 experience, and how Munsch’s visit to her small town left a lasting impression not just on her, but on the whole community.

0:00 – Intro
3:15 – How Gah-Ning’s family came to Hearst
8:45 – Discovering Robert Munsch books in school
11:00 – Writing the letter that changed everything
17:00 – Growing up in Hearst and being part of the story
21:00 – The lifelong friendship with “Uncle Bob”
29:00 – How her name almost got changed in the book
34:15 – Reflecting on how that one letter shaped her life
40:00 – Passing the story on to future generations

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 to Hornepayne
5:40 – What it means to be Ontario’s center
12:00 – A town shaped by trains and history
18:30 – Rebranding with trails and tourism
25:00 – Why people stay and others come back
31:45 – Looking ahead and dreaming big