Meet Your Guides
They’re not just instructors—they’re your biggest cheerleaders, here to ensure you gain the skills, confidence, and mindset needed to tackle your next adventure.
Our workshop guides are seasoned paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts who are passionate about sharing their expertise and empowering others to thrive in the backcountry. With a blend of technical skills, storytelling, and support, they’ll teach you everything from paddling techniques and navigation to fire-building and setting up camp.
Whether you're an experienced paddler or getting into a canoe for the first time, our guides will meet you where you are and help you discover your inner adventurer.
Tori Baird
OWNER & FOUNDER OF
PADDLE LIKE A GIRL
Tori has been canoeing whitewater for the last 7 years, navigating some of Ontario’s most challenging white water rivers. Her more substantial trips include a few fly-in remote wilderness whitewater rivers. In 2015 she paddled the East Natashquan in Northern Quebec, in 2016 the Porcupine River in Northern Saskatchewan. And in 2017 she paddled the Mountain River in the Northwest Territories only a few days after completing an 8-day, 160km backpacking trek across the Rocky Mountains from Jasper to Grande Cache.
She is a certified ORCKA Basic Canoe Instructor and has her Wilderness & Remote First Aid certification and is very comfortable and confident in the backcountry. She loves meeting other like-minded womxn and she is extremely excited to share her knowledge and passion with you!
Shari Hughes
WORKSHOP GUIDE
As an avid enthusiast of all things outdoors, Shari has been camping, hiking, climbing and paddling for more than 30 years. In 2016, she retired from physiotherapy and moved to the Magnetawan area with her husband fulfilling a dream to live on the water. She is equally comfortable carrying a pack or a canoe; she has completed the 78 km La Cloche Silhouette trail nine times and has paddled provincial parks across Ontario (Algonquin, Killarney, Temagami and the French River). Shari is a certified ORCKA Basic Canoe Instructor and looks forward to sharing her experiences and assisting Tori in introducing you to the joys of the backcountry.
Alecia Golding
WORKSHOP GUIDE
Alecia touched her first canoe paddle at the age of 10 and, since then, has found a way to dedicate her life to the outdoors. Whether it's a backpack or a paddle, Alecia finds joy in getting outside. She holds a diploma in Outdoor & Adventure Education from Fleming College, is an ORCKA Basic Canoe Instructor and is a Wilderness First Responder. With a love for adventure and a deep-seated enthusiasm for teaching, Alecia thrives on the opportunity to empower people to get excited about the outdoors.
Darci Butch
WORKSHOP GUIDE
Darci started her relationship with the outdoors in her late 20s by becoming an avid backpacker but dreamed of becoming a canoeist. Between Covid lockdowns, Darci bought her first canoe: a retired beater from an outfitter at the edge of Algonquin Park. Darci learned everything she could about canoeing with Blue over several seasons, including several trips through the Haliburton Highlands, participating in a Paddle Like a Girl weekend workshop and a very windy solo (but together) trip on the French River system. Progressing her skills quickly, she explored whitewater paddling, pack rafting, fat biking and winter camping. Her experience in public education and her personal journey into the outdoors make her a friendly, kind and knowledgeable support. She is currently mapping out her professional outdoor career, pursuing qualifications through the Outdoor Council of Canada and the Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayaking Association.
Taylor Leucke
WORKSHOP GUIDE
Taylor has always found peace in the outdoors—whether paddling, hiking, camping, or sipping coffee in the yard. Her love for backcountry adventure blossomed in 2018 while working in Algonquin Park, where she gained knowledge, memories and borrowed gear from family and friends. Short trips along the Highland Backpacking Trail soon evolved into multi-day canoe trips in parks like Killarney and French River. Her passion grew to include winter camping, skiing and snowshoeing. Embracing the outdoors has allowed Taylor to enjoy the wonders of every season, get creative with life and find comfort in the uncomfortable. Taylor is an ORCKA-certified Basic Canoe Instructor, excited for others to embrace their curiosity and explore the wild!
Monica Guerin
WORKSHOP GUIDE
Monica went on her first camping trip when she was a kid and hasn’t stopped since. Growing up in the Ottawa area, she began exploring parks close to her, and eventually started working in the parks system in parks like Algonquin, Arrowhead, Kettle Lakes, and most recently, Killarney. She enjoys paddling, hiking, swimming, skiing, and cooking just about anything over a campfire. Monica went to college for Environmental Studies, is Wilderness Advanced First Aid certified, and is pursuing certification with the Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayaking Association.
