Quetico Superior Foundation Board Member Profile
Please tell us what your involvement with the Quetico Superior Foundation means to you:
The region holds many of my fondest memories. I find serenity in the isolation, beauty, and physical exertion associated with my visits to the Boundary Waters. It is my favorite place. My father first took me on a trip when I was eight years old. He was going on a trip with some friends and I asked if I could go too. Without hesitation he said yes. It was the first of many adventures with friends and family. Today I have two very young girls, and I can’t wait to introduce them to this treasured place soon. The Foundation works hard through Wilderness News to bring the news, history, and culture of the region to our readers. Through Foundation grants we also work to protect the region and introduce it to other young explorers. It’s an honor to help protect this beautiful region.
What other ways have you been active in the Quetico-Superior Region?
Our family business has been active on both sides of the border for decades. AmeriPride Services and Canadian Linen and Uniform Service have been successfully providing linen, uniforms, floor care and restroom services to customers for nearly 125 years. In this region we operate out of the Bemidji, Hibbing, Duluth, Winnipeg, Manitoba and Kenora, Ontario markets. We are pleased to service thousands of businesses and employ hundreds in these cities. We are the only North American textile rental provider to still operate our laundry facilities in these local markets, and we are proud of it!
What is the most pressing issue you see in the region today?
Clearly sulfide mining. As a medium-sized business owner I completely sympathize with the desire to create additional employment in the region. However I have to think about the long-term responsibility that we have to protect our wilderness areas. Until we can be absolutely certain that mining will do no harm to the region, I’m dead set against the short term economic benefits that are certain to bring long-term or permanent environmental damage.
What is one of your favorite memories from the Quetico-Superior Region?
In high school for a “senior year project” four friends and I spent the winter building two Kevlar canoes, guided and assisted by my uncle. In May we launched on a nineteen-day, 150+ mile tour of the BWCA and Quetico Park. We followed ice-out north, hacked and sawed our way through portages wrecked by downed trees, beat the Canadian rangers across the border (we left an envelope with our entry fee), and ate our way through over 300 pounds of food. Along the way we dumped a canoe or two, caught exactly zero fish, and solidified life-long friendships. What an amazing adventure for a group of seventeen year-olds!
What’s your favorite way to spend time in the Quetico-Superior Region?
I tend to remember my entry points more than where I’ve been once I’m into the woods. I especially recommend the adventure of entering from the Outward Bound School near Ely, Minnesota on the Kawishiwi River. Paddling upstream through a variety of actual and makeshift short portages gets you into the challenge right away. I much prefer entering with a paddle rather than a long portage, and this is a great way to head into the woods.
Any last tidbit you want Wilderness News Readers to know?
My wife Cassidy is a dynamo in the bow of our canoe! I can’t wait to get back to the Boundary Waters with my girls.
This article appeared in the Summer 2012 edition of Wilderness News >