Words and Pictures by Gary Ataman and Joe Tobin
From the Past Chair – Gary Ataman (2018-2025)
In 2010, I joined the WCA and was invited to join the Board in 2013. I had launched various club events over the years, ranging from one day easy paddles to multi-week hard core adventures.
On April 9, 2018, I was voted in as our chairman by the Board’s executive.
One of the first things I took on was to clean up the website and streamline the membership process. In those days, we had 365 membership renewal dates where everyone’s renewal date was based on when a member signed up. This created a lot of missed renewals and loss of revenues for the club. As a result, I spearheaded a change to create only one renewal date for everyone.
I am a big believer in consistent branding (ie one club logo). The Board agreed and we looked at establishing this on all documentation and on all websites (ie WCA, CCR, YouTube, Facebook, etc.). In late 2019 our historic retro WCA logo was re-introduced and we began to use it throughout the face of the Association. This logo was originally created in 1976 by Barry Brown (The Wilderness Canoeist, June 1976, Volume 3. No 1.). In the same year, we opened our brand new WCA YouTube channel. I and others have since created a lot of the content found on the channel.
The year 2019 was a turnaround year, with 509 members up from 382 in 2018, and 51 events up from 25 in 2018. Additionally, this was the first year the club operated in the black after the previous 6 years being in the red.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit the world in Spring 2020 and all WCA activities immediately were shut down. Over the next 2 years the club in-person events went to zero, but to keep connected with our members the WCA turned to Zoom for presentations and workshops to keep our membership engaged.
In late 2022 we climbed out of the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a result we returned to a live Mike Wevrick Memorial Presentation (Wine and Cheese). Our guest speaker that year was Hap Wilson. This was also the first time we simultaneously broadcast the event via Zoom to about 50 online WCA members across the US and Canada.
In 2023 we began the rebuilding process: 10 Zoom presentations and 17 in-person events, membership peaked at 484 – more or less back to pre-Covid-19 levels. The Wine and Cheese event that year was the first to broadcast on YouTube LIVE. People from around the world watched the evening’s presentation.
In late 2023, we decided to partner with a small group of highly relevant paddling industry brands, that was to help generate Nastawgan ad revenue to help offset its rising printing and mailing costs.
In 2024, I identified we needed a better financial buffer for the WCA to bring it in line with future expenses. The website needed a future upgrade and the Nastawgan’s production costs were continually rising, which lead to a necessary increase the WCA membership dues. But at the same time, that year saw 12 Zoom presentations and 21 in-person events to carry on the rebuilding process.
Also, in the same year the Board decided to make a WCA donation to Paddler Co-op (a not-for-profit organization) so that they can buy their facilities property and ensure future access to the Palmer Rapids for generations to come. Many of our members have used the facility over the years. A push to do more outings with Paddler is envisioned to be a win-win relationship for both of our organizations.
In 2025, after 7 years serving as WCA Chairman (the longest in the club’s history), I have realized it is time to take a step back in my position on the Board. During this time, I have met some great people, some friends for life, and have appreciated the great team of volunteers and event organizers that have stepped forward to make the club what it is now. Today the WCA is stronger, more resilient, and together with the Board I’ve pushed for a significant website upgrade (the original was developed in 2010), that should be rolled out by summer of 2025. Moving forward I will serve as membership secretary and plan to help Joe Tobin spool up into the chairman’s position.
From the New Chair – Joe Tobin
It’s an honour to introduce myself as the newly elected Chair of the Wilderness Canoe Association’s Board of Directors. I’d like to begin by acknowledging the extraordinary leadership of my predecessor, Gary Ataman, who guided the WCA through seven years of growth, stability, and community-building, despite a large portion of that time taking place during a persistent COVID-19 environment. I’m grateful for his example and for the strong foundation we now build upon.
Many of you know me through shared river travel, club events, or course instruction. Whether we’ve paddled together or not, I’ve long admired the spirit of this community: self-reliant, supportive, and adventurous. I’m excited to help lead the WCA in a way that strengthens our core values and ensures our relevance and vibrancy into the future.
As Chair, I’ll be focusing on three priority areas in the coming year:
Member Engagement. At its heart, the WCA is a community. Our strength lies in the connections between members—on trips, at events, and through shared knowledge. We’ll be exploring ways to make it easier for members to get involved, whether that’s by leading trips, contributing to Nastawgan, volunteering behind the scenes, or even attending a social gathering. Expect to see renewed energy around club outreach, development opportunities, and outings.
Paddler Development. To maintain the health of our club, we need to introduce new paddlers to wilderness canoeing. That can be an intimidating prospect without the right contacts. I therefore see a key part of our mandate as helping new paddlers take their first strokes and supporting more experienced paddlers to grow their skills and confidence. From flatwater to whitewater, from navigation to wilderness first aid, the WCA can be a hub for lifelong learning. We’ll be working with trip leaders, instructors, and like-minded organizations to offer more accessible training, with a particular focus on welcoming newer paddlers and broadening participation across all experience levels and paddling disciplines.
Safety. Canoeing inherently involves risk—but as a community we can help each other manage it. This year, we’ll be highlighting best practices, offering skill refreshers, and promoting a culture where safety planning is simply part of good paddling. Sharing lessons learned, being honest about our challenges, and supporting each other’s growth are all part of this ongoing work.
Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me to lead our Wilderness Canoe Association. I’m looking forward to meeting, listening, learning, and paddling alongside many of you in the months ahead.
Wishing you all the skill for the rapids, the strength for the portages, and the wisdom to choose between them.