Meet Your Hosts
ANDREA
Andrea fell in love with paddling and Temagami at a young age. She began guiding and running retreats in 1989. Andrea spent many years working in the seasonal paddlesports industry for canoe builders such as Swift Canoe and Kayak and retailers like Algonquin Outfitter and Northern Lights Canoe & Kayak, and spending her winters on the slopes as a Level III Ski Instructor.
As an avid explorer of the trail and waterways of our natural world, Andrea knows the peace and contentment that the wilderness can bring, and delights in sharing that feeling with her guests.
An ethics professional and a strong advocate of wilderness conservation, Andrea currently acts as vice-chair of Earthroots, a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection of Ontario’s wilderness, wildlife, and watersheds.
Her lifelong interest in interior design, and her work alongside Hap in environmental design, is illustrated brilliantly in the rustic beauty of the Ecolodge. For Andrea, home really is where the heart is. And with Oban, her collie, always by her side, she works tirelessly to create an environment – and experience – that her guests will not only remember but cherish.
HAP
Hap is an award-winning artist, author and photographer. He worked several years in the Temagami District as a Park Ranger, later as an outfitter and was co-founder of the environment group Earthroots. Author of 14 books, his writing has appeared in Canadian Geographic, Cottage Life, Explore, Canoe & Kayak, International Wildlife and Outdoor Canada.
His book Voyages: Canada’s Heritage Rivers, won the Natural Resources Council of America Award for best environmental book of 1994. Hap also received the Bill Mason Award for lifetime achievement in river conservation. Hap has paddled more than 60,000 km. throughout Canada and taught wilderness skills for Outward Bound, is an International Fellow of the Explorer’s Club and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
On the lighter side, Hap taught actor Pierce Brosnan how to throw an axe and paddle a canoe for the Attenborough movie Grey Owl. He also created all the artwork on the Cabin Falls site.
.
Statement of Environmental Integrity
Environmental Integrity, Sustainability & Wellness:
In today’s busy world where the standard of living seems to be a paramount objective, we often inadvertently compromise our quality of life. Clean air, palatable water, an intact natural environment, are all necessary elements for sustainable life.
As directors of the environmental group EARTHROOTS, we endeavour to remain true to our beliefs to our conservation-based values. There is no question that Cabin Falls Ecolodge is situated in one of Canada’s most beautiful locations, pristine as well as sensitive to disturbance. We have attempted to leave as modest a footprint as possible, blending the Ecolodge with the surrounding terrain in colour and design. A great deal of our building materials have been obtained from recycled lumber or sustainably managed forests. We use green products as much as possible and have all our refuse and recyclables flown out of the park for proper disposal.
We strive to keep our general footprint light but do rely on the local air service for transportation in and out of the lodge. We offer an option of paddling in or out of the lodge from a variety of access points, spending at least one overnight along the way.
For 10 years, Cabin Falls Ecolodge was powered by solar. However, we are now investigating hydro-power with the aim of revamping our electrical system. Our drinking water is drawn from a pure spring, borne out of the old-growth pine forest.