TORI BAIRD

Tori has been canoeing whitewater for the last 7 years, navigating some of Ontario’s most challenging 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.

After completing a solo backcountry canoe trip, she was inspired to launch her business Paddle Like a Girl in hopes of empowering other women. Paddle Like a Girl is a two-day paddling workshop for women, that Tori runs out of her property on the Magnetawan River. Her goal is to instil confidence in the participants to start planning and executing their own backcountry canoe trips. The workshops cover all the basics of backcountry canoeing, from trip planning and map reading to meal prep, waterproofing gear and fire lighting, but the main focus is on paddling skills.

Tori has contributed to Outpost Magazine, Explore Magazine, has been a guest on several podcasts, presented at London’s Paddle Shop and was featured in Export Development Canada’s profile of Nova Craft Canoe in 2019.

Photo by Cobi Sharpe, Spark Adventure Photography