Faculty
Our faculty has a broad range of experience in the outdoor industry. Many still work extensively in industry, guiding, instructing, or managing outdoor activities. We work with a variety of industry organizations (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Canadian Alliance of Nordic Ski Instructors, Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of British Columbia, British Columbia Raft Outfitters Association, Recreational Canoeing Association of British Columbia, Canadian Avalanche Association, Rescue Three International, Canadian Yachting Association) to ensure our faculty are offering industry standard courses. See bios of our instructors below.
Program Manager / Sea Kayak Instructor - Don Webster
Don Webster is the Convener of the Wilderness Leadership & Advanced Wilderness Leadership Certificates. His past experience includes guiding wilderness trips on five continents, in such destinations such as Patagonian Chile, Arctic Norway, Greenland, Alaska, the Middle East and Antarctica. He stays active within the outdoor industry by continuing to lead international trips and certify aspiring guides. In addition to guiding, Don has consulted on numerous industry projects, which have included technical sea kayak manuals, risk assessments for education institutions, recreation assessments for small businesses, and GAP analyses for outdoor adventure companies.
Education & Certifications: Adventure Tourism Business Management Certificate (College of the Rockies), Adventure Guide Diploma (Thompson Rivers University), Bachelor of Tourism Management (Thompson Rivers University), Master's of Environmental Management (Royal Roads University), Examiner (Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC).
Canoe Instructor - Allyson Phillips
Allyson is passionate about teacher training and about being outdoors - especially river canoeing. She was first certified as a Lakewater Canoeing Instructor through Capilano College in 1996, and many certifications later is now a Master Instructor through the Recreational Canoeing Association of BC and a busy canoeing instructor through many outdoor programs around the province. Her other work as an English as a Second Language teacher trainer and curriculum designer and her other interests like telemark skiing, mountain biking, trail running, backpacking, and birding all complement the canoe teaching somehow. She and her husband, Roger Warnatsch, love the outdoor life and community of their home in Kimberley, BC.
Canoe Instructor - Roger Warnatsch
Roger’s passion is whitewater and he has explored rivers from Southern California to the Northwest Territories by canoe, appreciating the importance of the canoe to Canada’s history but also expanding the boundaries of how people normally think of canoeing. He is a Master Instructor with the Recreational Canoeing Association of BC and dedicated to river conservation in BC. He has been with the WLP program since 2004 and also teaches canoeing for several other outdoor programs. He lives in Kimberley, BC with his wife and co-instructor, Allyson Phillips, surrounded by the Rockies and Purcell Mountains with more rivers, lakes, trails, snow and mountains than they could ever hope to explore.
Sea Kayaking Instructor - Rick Snowdon
Rick Snowdon is currently one of the owners of Spirit of the West Adventures, a guided sea kayaking tour company based on Quadra Island. Still actively working in the field as a guide and instructor, he has not only gotten deep into the big picture of operating trips, managing staff and dealing with regulatory issues, but has remained in touch with the day-to-day reality of working as a guide. He's also had the good fortune to work as a leader in Ecuador, Mexico, Grenada, Greenland, Australia and Vanuatu. Rick joined the industry in BC in 2002 when he moved here from Ontario, where he had worked in water-based tourism and training for several years.
Education and Certifications: Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation and BSc. Natural Science (Lakehead University), SKGABC level III guide, wilderness first responder, radio operator’s certificate, SVOP, MED A2
Sea Kayaking Instructor - Brody Wilson
Born and raised on Maurelle Island Brody has always maintained a deep connection with the island lifestyle. He began kayak guiding in the eco tourism industry at the age of 18 and found a passion for bringing others into the natural environment. Over the years Brody has developed his skill to the point where he is teaching within the Wilderness Leadership Program and operating his own luxury lodge-based kayaking business - Go With The Flow Adventures. Brody has intimate knowledge of the flora and fauna,native history, wild foods, trails and waterways of the local area.
Nordic Instructor - Mark Simpson
Mark has climbed, skied, ridden and paddled in many locales around the world and has built his experience on the rugged and varied terrain of the Pacific Northwest. Mark's key qualities in the outdoors are teamwork, passion, empathy, humility and drive. His training in skiing is the deepest with highest certifications in Canada in Telemark (level 3) Cross Country (Level 4) as well as CSIA Level 2 in alpine skiing. Mark is a National examiner in Cross Country and Telemark and has certified ski leaders across Western Canada. Mark has also worked with leading outdoor organizations such as Whistler/Blackcomb, Canada West Mountain School, Cypress Bowl Recreations, Capilano University, Whistler Olympic Park, Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors and others, delivering skiing and outdoor leadership programs.
Interpreting Landscapes Instructor - Catherine Boniface
Catherine has a masters degree in Biogeography and several years of experience as an instructor at Outward bound in western Canada. A keen mountaineer and actively involved in skiing and hiking, Catherine enjoys sharing her knowledge of the outdoor environment with her students.
Rock Climbing Instructor - Roger Sarrasin
ROGER SARRASIN, ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), CAA Professional Member (Canadian Avalanche Association). Roger has spent the last 14 years pursuing his passion for rock climbing and ski touring, traveling extensively throughout North America, Europe and South East Asia. He is a graduate of the Adventure Travel Guide program at the University College of the Cariboo, and a Board Member for the ACMG. Roger lives/works in Squamish as a Rock Guide and spends his winters Heli-Ski guiding in the Coast and Interior Ranges of British Columbia.
Rock 1 & 2, Winter Skills, Backpacking Instructor - Chris Lawrence
Rock 1 & 2, Winter Skills, Backpacking Instructor - Chris Lawrence
Chris's understated manner belies his depth of experience as a truly professional instructor and guide in the mountain environment. An ACMG/IFMGA certified Mountain Guide instructing CWMS courses since 1990, Chris has also worked and guided extensively around BC and Alberta, always ensuring that the people on his trips have an excellent time, whether it be on a one-day rock outing or two-week alpine expedition to Mt. Waddington. Chris lives in Squamish where he is also a member of the Squamish Search & Rescue.
Winter Skills, Wilderness Leadership Skills and Ski Touring Instructor - Bruce Wilson
Bruce has diplomas in both Outdoor Recreation Management and Outdoor Leadership from Capilano University in North Vancouver and is an ACMG certified Backpacking Guide. He has more than 20 years experience guiding trips and instructing in the outdoors from canoe trips in Northern Ontario to expeditions in Geneva, Switzerland. A CWMS instructor since 1990 Bruce has also worked extensively running his own adventure based kayaking and leadership school, and has recently set up residence in Squamish, BC.
Natural History / Guiding Leadership Instructor - Roy Jantzen
Roy is the owner of an environmental education company and an instructor of natural history at Capilano University. Roy's teaching focus is through interpretation and he prefers classes to be in the field. No matter what he is teaching, Roy will be aspiring to not just educate, but to inspire those he teaches to take the knowledge gained and use it to experience the natural world for themselves. He brings to the program a love of the outdoors as well as skills too. These skills are not only lead and organize others, but also to empower those to lead themselves. Roy sees himself as a lifelong learner. He has a Masters degree in Environmental Education & Communication and is constantly learning new skills - this year it is rowing sculls!