"The staff at Chrchill River Canoe Outfitters are not just my employees, they are also my family," says Ric Driediger, owner and operator.

"Canoe outfitting is a people business, and good service begins by surrounding yourself with people who love what they do."

"I take great pride in the professionalism, dedication, and skills of all my staff members, and I admire their love of the north and the canoeing lifestyle."

Ric has been invovled in wilderness leadership and guiding since 1973. Most of these years have been spent wandering around the Churchill River region of Northern Saskatchewan.

Ric has owned and operated Horizons Unlimited Wilderness Services since he started the company in 1979. His company purchased Churchill River Canoe Outfitters in 1986.

Ric knows nearly every nook and cranny of the Northern Saskatchewan wilderness. If you want information on any canoe route - he's the one to ask. He's well known for his stories of adventures and misadventures from his many years of travel and hearing the tales of canoeists returning from their trips.

Not only is Ric renowned for his knowledge of the north's most spectacular waters, his innovative marketing strategies earned Curchill River Canoe Outfitters the Saskatchewan Tourism Business of the Year Award in 2004.

Ric works with his wife Theresa and his two kids Daniel and Sarah.

Theresa, has been described as the "backbone" of Churchill River Canoe Outfitters, by her husband. The two met on a canoe trip on the Churchill at the age of nineteen, and were married a year later. Since then, they have explored the waters north of Missinpe and share a profound passion for the beauty of the north.

Ric and Theresa's first venture in Missinipe was running a non-profit organization called Wilderness Trails. During this time they purchased their first cabin, which now serves as quarters for Churchill River Canoe Outfitters staff.

The duo moved to Ottawa, Ontario, in 1985, and returned to Missinipe in 1987, after Theresa had completed her Masters in Counseling at St. Paul's University. It was then that Ric and Theresa purchased Churchill River Canoe Outfitters.

Theresa is a licenced psychologist in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Currently Ric, Theresa, and family winter in Edmonton, Alberta, where she works for Health Canada as a Community Mental Health Therapist. This involves counseling northern Alberta's Cree.

"I love the people of the north. The Cree taught me about parenting, loving children, and maintaining strong family ties."

Theresa's love affair with anything connected to canoeing twigged an interest in cedar strip canoe construction. She began building canoes in 1981, and handcrafted nine works of art, before taking a break to devote time to her family. Theresa is planning to resume cedar srtip canoe construction immediately after she completes a new shop, using post-and-beam construction.

Kevin spends most of his time in the outdoors, guiding at CRCO in the summer, and spending his winters as a ski instructor in the mountains. He is a fixture at Churchill River Canoe Outfitters. In the twenty-five years he has been guiding for Ric, he has paddled the Nahanni, the Seal, McLennan Lake area, the Paull, the Foster, the Fond du Lac, the Gieke, and the Clearwater, and the list goes on...... He is a walking encyclopedia of canoeing, canoe routes, local wildlife, flora and fauna, and anything else connected to the outdoors. Kevin is always willing to share his experiences with clients, or anyone who drops in at the office. His out-going nature and refined skills make him the kind of guide clients love to spend time with.

Kevin grew up on the water, his father teaching him canoeing skills as a young boy. His love of nature, the canoeing lifestyle, and guiding give him the desire to go anywhere, anytime in a canoe.

"This is no job.....it's as good as it gets! It's hard for me to call our guests clients. Most of these people end up being my friends. They're like me. They know you can't have an adventure sitting on the couch."

Kevin is a certified Master Instructor and Instructor Trainer in Moving Water, Canoe Tripping, and Lake Water. He is also an excellent angler, and has mastered chasing trophy Northern Pike on the fly.

To say Kevin is a character is an understatement. He will talk your ear off, but if you take the time to listen, you will most certainly learn alot.

Kevin's reputation makes him a highly sought-after guide by first-timers, as well as the long list of returning customers who desire to take another trip with him.

Lee and Sarah met on the Churchill River, at Robertson Falls. He was guiding, and she was taking her Grade Nine Class from La Ronge on a canoe trip. They have been together ever since, and will be getting married at the end of August, 2008. Where?.....At Churchill River Canoe Outfitters, of course!

Lee, hailing from Claresholm, Alberta, has been guiding at CRCO for seven years. He comes from a new generation of guides, holding a BA in Physical Education and Outdoor Pursuits from the University of Alberta, as well as a diploma in Adventure Tourism and Outdoor Recreation from Lakeland College, Vermillion, Alberta. He spends his winters building powerlines.

Lee found his way to northern Saskatchewan when he was finishing his schooling at Lakeland College. Ric Driediger was on the Advisory Board to the college, and Sheila Archer, a former guide at CRCO was Lee's instructor. She introduced the two, and a frienship was born.

Lee has extensive experience in a canoe. He is a Level II Moving Water Instructor, a Level II Canoe Tripping Instructor, as well as a Lake Water and Flat Water Instructor. He became addicted to canoe-tripping on a twenty-one day excursion down the Mara and Burnside Rivers to Bathurst Inlet in Canada's Arctic.

In the time he has been guiding at Churchill River Canoe Outfitters, Lee has developed a deep knowledge of the Churchill River and has spent time on the Kazan River, in Nunavut.

Lee grew up flyfishing the creeks and streams of Alberta's foothills for trout with a five-weight flyrod. He now tests his eight-weight on the scores of giant pike that frequent the Churchill.

Lee's quiet, calm demeanor, and vast experience in the outdoors make him the perfect host on any wilderness canoe journey.

Sarah has spent three summers working at Churchill River Canoe Outfitters. She likes to think of herself as the "Office Manager", and prides herself in being able to "tell Ric what to do."

When you arrive at the CRCO office, chances are you will be greeted by her warm smile and cheery voice.

Sarah has been canoeing since age thirteen, and takes every opportunity to get out on the water with the love-of-her-life, Lee. She spends her winters in Alberta, where she is Co-ordinator of Services for Adults With Developmental Disabilities. Her goal is to catch an Arctic Grayling on a fly.

In the short time Sarah has been with CRCO, she has become a valuable asset, keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly, and tending to the needs of our guests.

Tim grew up in Steinbach, Manitoba, an avid cross country skiier, back country hiker, and mountain biker, who dabbled in canoeing. He holds a Bachelor of Science, with a Double Major in Environmental Services, as well as a BA in Physical Education and Outdoor Pursuits, the latter obtained at the University of Alberta. It was here that he met Lee Cormier, who brought him into the Churchill River Canoe Outfitters fold.

This is Tim's fourth season at CRCO. In this time, he has guided the Churchill River system extensively, as well as guided on the Fond du Lac, Clearwater, and Paull Rivers. He holds an Instructor's Certificate in Canoe Tripping Level II and Moving Water Level I.

Tim has also become an avid angler, and is doing his best to catch up to his mentors, Kevin and Lee, when it comes to chasing twenty pound plus Northern Pike.

Guests who have travelled waters with Tim will tell you he is as professional as they come, but he does have a perpetual mischievous "twinkle" in his eye, and his timely practical jokes can break up the monotony of a long paddle.

Eating well and travelling light are two key elements for an enjoyable paddle in the wilderness. Heidi, our Food Manager has spent a large part of her life studying food preparation and dehydration. Born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, Heidi has always been an avid canoeist, four-season camper, and cross-country skier.

Heidi met Ric Driediger in her former capacity as Recreation Director for the Saskatchewan Canoe Association, (now Canoe Kayak Saskatchewan). Upon learning of her wilderness cuisine culinary skills, Ric recruited Heidi to CRCO. Our guests have been enjoying her savory delights under the Northern Lights for the past nine years.

Heidi's knowledge of dehydration techniques and canoe-tripping recipes comes from her experience on the water. She is an accomplished canoeist, holding Canoe Tripping II, Lake Water I, and Flat Water Instructor certificates. She has spent a great deal of time on the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers, and travelled the waters in the Prince Albert National Park, the Gieke River, and the Thelon River. When time allows, she paddles Otter Lake and parts of the Churchill.

"Anybody can go out in the wilderness and be uncomfortable. It takes a little thought and finess to be comfortable. I like to try out new ideas and recipes by field-testing them on a trip before I offer them to our clients."

As well as preparing tasty fare, Heidi carefully considers the nutritional needs of each party she supplies. She is always looking for new ways to provide clients with the extra calories they need on the water and to replace the fats lost in the dehydration process.

In the summer, Heidi lives in a funky old bus behind our staff house in Missinipe with her two sons, Brady and Landis, and Mic "the dog". She winters in Saskatoon, where she is a Saskatoon Public School Board Educational Assistant.

There's nothing like enjoying one of Heidi's gourmet wilderness creations beside pristine waters, with a loon calling in the background, after a long day's paddle. There isn't a Five-Star restaurant in the world that can offer that!

Evalisa, better known as "Ev", is one amazing woman! She is a somewhat demure, small-framed lady, but don't be fooled.....in her short time on this earth, she has accomplished more than most of us do in a lifetime.

Not many people can say they have canoed across Canada. Ev can. She and a campanion accomplished this feat over a period of three summers. In the first, they spent three months paddling from Fort McMurray to Tuktoyaktuk. The second summer was a two-and-a-half month trek from Fort McMurray to Lake Winnipeg, via Churchill River Canoe Outfitters, when we initially met her. The third summer was a five-and-one-half month journey from Kenora, Ontario to the St. Lawrence River, and Montreal, Quebec. The last leg took a little longer than anticipated, in an effort to stay away from the more populated areas of Ontario. Ev and her partner took a "short" three hundred and fifty kilometre detour through the Temagami area.

2008 was Ev's first summer at CRCO. She grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, but holds a degree in Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism obtained at Lakehead University, in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Ev is "Amazed at the people you meet in the bush", and spends her winter on snowshoes, doing geological surveys in northern Manitoba. She is quiet and humble, and has an enlightened "oneness" with nature, which she is readily willing to share with all who are interested.

Rebecca is our "baby". She lives in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, about nine hours south of Missinipe. Three summers ago, Rebecca was on a Grade Ten canoe trip on the Churchill, guided by Lee Cormier. They got to talking and Lee subseqently introduced her to Ric Driediger, who took her on for a two week test period at CRCO.

Last summer, Rebecca spent one month at CRCO, and this summer, she has been with us almost for the entire duration. She is very easy to spot. Just look for that never-ending smile on her face, reflecting the personality of a young lady you would be pleased to know.

This year, Rebecca used her excellent paddling and "people" skills as an assistant guide to Ric on a trip in the McLennan Lake area. She also helped oversee a five day journey on the North Saskatchewan River, as well as guiding "solo" for a family on a day trip on the Churchill River. Rebecca also managed to complete two whitewater paddling courses over the summer months.

Rebecca's other duties include doing all the things the rest of us don't want to do. She smiles through it all!

The kids at Churchill River Canoe Outfitters have grown up on the Churchill. They work hard, play hard, and are always willing to pitch in wherever they are needed.

Pictured above (left to right) - Daniel and Sarah Driediger, Brady and Landis Odell