Meet Leading Lines’ Head of Internal Communications, Gareth Martin!
As Head of Internal Communications Gareth has the important job of being the “oil in the machine” as well as the glue that holds the team together, kind of like the perfect mix of duct-tape and WD40! Gareth plays a number of crucial roles including taking meeting minutes, collecting group information, and ensuring that all team members’ voices are heard. Gareth is also a member of the trip safety team and has played an instrumental part in hazard identification as well as the team’s switch to CalTopo, a digital mapping software that has proved extremely useful in the planning of the trip.
While he’s never done a cold water canoe trip similar to what the Leading Lines Trip is expected to be, Gareth is no stranger to canoeing. In fact he’s spent a total of three years guiding canoe trips in Algonquin Park for Camp Northway - Wendigo, including leading a 13 day trip from Cache Lake to Lake McManus in 2019.
Gareth guiding under a beautiful double rainbow.
Gareth’s trip goals are to know everyone better than he does at the start of the trip, which may be a tall order since he's spent the past year and a half going to school with everyone on the team already! From an internal communications perspective Gareth wants to help all his teammates perform their best and make sure that everyone leaves the trip as friends and with positive memories of their experience together.
When Gareth first considered attending Algonquin College he was originally interested in the Outdoor Adventure Naturalist program (ODAN). Instead of committing to this program right away he decided to head to Nepal for a year off, but when the credit card payment for his plane ticket fell through he took it as a sign to start his studies early. After careful consideration between Algonquin College’s ODAN and Outdoor Adventure (ODA) programs Gareth opted for the latter and a month later he began his studies as an ODA student in September of 2019.
After the trip Gareth intends to stay local, at least for a little while, with plans to work at OWL Rafting, Madawaska Kanu Centre, and even run some privately guided trips of his own. He’ll be back at Algonquin College later this year to complete courses he missed after breaking his clavicle in the Fall semester and plans to spend his time paddling on the Ottawa River whenever he’s not at school.
For more Leading Lines team bios click HERE.
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