The Happy Camper: Why I Refuse to Present in the U.S. Once Again
I’m not entirely sure what my obsession is with using 80s bands to discuss my deep philosophy about wilderness protection, but it seems to be a theme with me lately… and I am okay with it. I think it brings a past with the present…and a learning curve for the future.
Here we go again.
Loverboy’s lead singer Mike Reno may not have the butt he had on the cover of the band’s second hit studio album Get Lucky, but he still has the pipes to beat out, “I gotta do it my way.” I’ll give him that!
Other Canadian rockers have kept at it, and I admire that. Rush came out of the ashes with a new drummer. Very cool. And the last time I went to a Glass Tiger concert I was blown away with Alan Frew’s post-stroke vocals for “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone).”
All of which gave this aging canoe tripping presenter the energy to fill up my calendar once again with a few major outdoor venues and more than a pocket full of local libraries and nature clubs.
Once again, I will stand on stage and praise why paddlers should head out on a wilderness canoe trip.
Sure, it’s not an Eagle’s The Long Goodbye concert or a Blondie’s Doom or Destiny tour. And it’s definitely not The Cult surprise appearance on The House of Strombo (that was just amazing).
No. Me, I will be putting gas in the car or shouldering an airport carryon bag for another speaking tour. I’m looking forward to cheap motels, sleeping on friends’ couches and reconnecting with countless canoeists.
But—and this is a big BUT—sadly, I will once again not be going to the United States to share my passion with fellow paddlers to spread the good word about wilderness conservation.
How can I? It’s like going to my neighbour’s pool party with a can of Canadian lager in one hand but not knowing where to pitch my camp chair. It just doesn’t feel right.
This border issue brings up so many bad memories: Grade 6, when a bully took my boloney and cheese sandwich that my mom made me. Or worse, Grade 9, in high school, when a popular girl found me cute but wanted to date the idiot football quarterback that had more muscle than sense.
I made an announcement on my social media that I won’t be presenting, once again, in the U.S. in 2027. And yes, the wave of comments came flowing in like a giant tsunami
Most remarks were good, actually great, from both sides of the border.
But some were very not!
I am not a political person, particularly. I’m usually more interested in the canoe route you’ve chosen for the season rather than the voting sign placed on your lawn.
I will greatly miss my time with my U.S. friends and paddlers (once again) where I’ve been presenting for over a few decades now. I’ve had the honour of being on stage with legendary Jerry Vandiver, Cliff Jacobson and so many more sparks of life in the American canoe world.
But I am a writer, which means I am a very emotional person, as well as self-spoken. That’s a good thing, by the way.
And I am a Canadian. And right now, I feel that Canadians are being bullied by the U.S. government.
I truly love my neighbours to the south, as the Bible says.
But if the head of the household living beside me mocks my way of life, and especially my integrity, then I choose to close the front window drapes for a little while and wait to see what happens.
I’m not popping over for tea. I don’t feel welcome.
If you are questioning my reasoning, which I am fine with by the way, let yourself consider my position for a moment…
Let’s see why I am so pissed off, and not wanting to present at U.S. shows where I have done so for close to 30 years.
Let’s start with the military stuff. Make a list of when the Canadian armed forces helped out the U.S. Yes, it’s mind boggling, to say the least.
Or how about when Newfoundlanders hosted thousands of stranded U.S. travellers during that horrific 9/11 event.
Or how about when U.S. paddlers came to do a canoe trip in Canada this past summer season and we welcomed them with open arms, instead of trashing their cars at wilderness put-ins or take-outs.
True story. The number one question I received this past season from my American paddling friends was “would their cars be destroyed when parking in some northern Ontario access point.”
My answer was simple enough. No… you are still very much welcomed here.
It doesn’t go the same way, in my opinion. Think about the threats that have been publicly announced, from calling us the 51st state to the map showing all of Canada as part of America.
Not very neighbourly.
I’ll keep rocking here in Canada.
