The Backroads Bill Podcast

The Backroads Bill Podcast

It’s time to hit the backroads of Northern Ontario and beyond with Backroads Bill! Tune in every Wednesday to explore the history and beauty of Northern Ontario. Alongside host and producer Ben, Bill (who is the founder and the GM of the Canadian Ecology Centre) goes more in depth to the stories he has been sharing for years on CBC Radio and Village Media. Whether it’s a “day-trip” “overnight-trip” or “Sunday drive” you will discover your next great adventure! Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_bill and on Twitter: @steertonorthONT For the video version of this episode or to explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca. For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials. Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho Production Credits: Host: Backroads Bill Producer: Ben Sargent Produced by Clark Communications

Episodes

October 15, 2025 34 mins
At just 23 years old, Cameron Welch is running a remote wilderness camp deep in Northern Ontario. It’s called Shooting Star Camp, and it sits along the Spanish River in a place secluded from the bustle of city life.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Cameron shares what it’s like to live and work off the grid. He talks about buying the same camp he once worked at as a teenager, learning to maintain old cabins, and welcom...
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The railway helped build Canada, but it also holds stories that don’t always make it into the history books.

 In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, CBC producer Melody Jacobson joins us to talk about her work on a new CBC special that dives into the history of trains in Canada.

From the role of sleeping car porters to the impact on Indigenous communities to rock concerts that rolled across the country, Melody shares what she...
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In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, explorer and author Adam Shoalts returns to share one of the most fascinating stories you've probably never heard.

It's the true story of Hubert Darrell, a Canadian solo explorer who vanished in the remote north nearly 100 years ago. Most people have never heard his name, yet his influence was felt throughout history books.

Adam walks us through how he stumbled across Darrell's story, wh...
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What happens when one man sits down with 44 people to tell the story of an entire city?

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, longtime pillar of the North Bay community Peter Handley shares the inspiration behind his newest book, Vis-à-Vis: North Bay in Deed & Tale.

We talk about how the project came together, how he chose who to interview, what surprised him most, and why capturing local stories is more important than e...
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September 17, 2025 36 mins
People come to Thunder Bay for the views, but many leave with pockets full of purple.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we head into the hills above Lake Superior to visit Amethyst Mine Panorama. Owner Tim Lukinuk shares how his family turned a glint of purple in the dirt into a destination that draws visitors from around the world. 

We talk about the history of the mine, what makes Thunder Bay amethyst so unique, and wh...
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Some of the best canoe routes in Canada aren’t in guidebooks. They’re shared around campfires, passed on through stories, and kept alive by the people who paddle them.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Eberly and Robert James of the Wilderness Canoe Association to talk about what it really means to explore the backcountry. They share their favourite trips, the friendships they’ve built along the...
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In their first interview, Sean Lougheed and Lauren Andersen were preparing to paddle 1000 miles through the Yukon wilderness in the world’s longest and toughest canoe race.

Now they’re back, and they’ve done it. In just six days and 22 hours, they paddled over 1,000 miles, slept only a few hours a night, and landed a top-three finish.

In this follow-up episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Sean and Lauren talk about what really happ...
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Long before northern Ontario had highways or hashtags, there was Joe LaFlamme. He ran liquor through the bush with dog teams, tamed wolves, and somehow became a national celebrity.

Suzanne Charron, author of "Wolf Man Joe Laflamme: Tamer Untamed", shares Joe’s wild story. It starts with him dodging the law and living off the land, but it doesn’t end there. Joe became a performer, a public figure, and a legend.

In towns like Gogama an...
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For more than 50 years, Clermont Duval has been painting the North. His work captures the spirit of the land, the wildlife, and the quiet moments most people miss. But for Clermont, nature isn’t quiet. It speaks to him. Sometimes it yells.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Clermont shares stories from a life in art and in nature. He talks about his early years painting wolves and canoes, what it's like to paint in compl...
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At just 22 years old, Mylène started Follow Her North, a guiding company that’s turning Northern Ontario into a place where people come for adventure and stay for connection. She leads everything from snowshoe hikes to getting you the right supplies for your adventure, helping people slow down and reconnect with the land. 

In this episode, she shares how she turned her love for the outdoors into a business, what it's like being a yo...
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100 episodes of the Backroads Bill Podcast has seen Bill and Ben talk to a number of high profile and educated guests focused on the outdoors, nature and Northern Ontario.

For episode 100 Bill talks about the Canadian Ecology Center. How it started and how it turned into the hub for education and outdoor events that it is today.

Bill also looks to the future following the devastating downburst earlier this summer and how the Canadian...
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In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, bear and cougar specialist Rich Beausoleil from BearWise.org joins to talk about how to stay safe, smart, and respectful in bear country.

From backcountry safety to urban attractants, Rich breaks down what really brings bears too close to people — and what works best to keep them away. 

00:00 - Intro: What Is BearWise?  
06:15 - Why Bears Show Up Where You Live  
13:40 - Bear Spray vs. Gun...
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Author Claire Cameron has written about bear attacks, wilderness trauma, and the raw edges of motherhood — but in her latest work, the story turned inward.

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, Claire began writing not just about danger out there, but the uncertainty inside her own body.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Claire reflects on grief, nature, storytelling, and resilience — and how Algonquin Park, literary ficti...
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What does it take to inspire a generation? In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with legendary science communicator Franco Mariotti, one of the original minds behind Science North.


Franco shares how his passion for biology and the natural world helped shape the early days of the centre. From bringing in live beavers and flying squirrels, to building exhibits that changed how kids (and adults) understand science...
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This week's episode revisits a previous podcast where Bill and Ben talked with Denny Treu who's father Gaylord crashed his fighter jet during a training exercise in Northern Ontario during the Cold War.

Bill and friend of the show Brian Emblin where planning to take a Denny and his family up to the crash site so they could honour his father's memory with a plaque.

Unfortunately Denny unexpectedly passed away days before the trip. Bil...
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In this week's episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, endurance paddlers Sean Lougheed and Lauren Anderson take us deep inside the preperation for the upcoming Yukon 1000, the longest canoe race on Earth — from Whitehorse to the Arctic Circle. 

For roughly 10 days, they will paddle 18 hours a day, braving storms, sleep deprivation, and total isolation with only a GPS and each other to rely on.

The toughest part? Getting accepted into...
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This week journalist and author Peter Annin joins Bill and Ben to explore the geopolitics, climate threats, and cross-border tensions surrounding the Great Lakes Water Basin.

From the shocking history of water diversions to modern battles over access, privatization, and climate migration, this episode reveals why the next great resource war may not be over oil — but over water.

Annin, author of The Great Lakes Water Wars, explains wh...
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What if your career could offer purpose, adventure, six months off a year — and a six-figure salary?

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, mining advocate Morgan Murphy breaks down the future of work in Ontario’s booming mining industry.

From underground tours to video campaigns and real talk with youth, she’s on a mission to shift the story — and show that mining is more than just rocks.

We cover everything from career paths...
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In this special Kindness Week episode of Backroads Bill, we sit down with Peggy Walsh Craig and Cindy Lalande from Trees for Nipissing, a grassroots group that’s transforming the urban landscape — one tree at a time.

They’re not just planting greenery. They’re pushing for policy change, promoting environmental education, and inspiring residents to rethink the value of trees in a city without a tree bylaw.

Learn more about Trees for N...
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In this episode of Backroads Bill, we speak with Maggie Wilson, president of the Cobalt Historical Society, about the incredible past and uncertain future of one of Canada’s most historic mining towns.

From the silver boom of 1905 to the modern-day fight to preserve headframes, mills, and trails, this is a story of resilience, rust, and remembrance.

Whether it’s mining students from around the world or tourists walking the Heritage S...
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