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About Us
 It
all started above the artic circle in a canoe, some 50 some years ago, in
Fort
Simpson
North West
Territory, when co-owner Bruce Hawkins was born. He spent the
first 16 years of his life in the great white North;
dog sledding in the winter and paddling the northern rivers all summer.
After leaving the North, he and his family settled in Brandon,
Manitoba,
where he completed his formal education and joined the
Canadian Army, and finally met and married his wife Pat. From that point, he and Pat started
to travel the world. His career took them to the Middle East, Australia, Africa,
Germany, and all over Canada just to name a few exciting locations! During
their time in these magical places, they took every opportunity they could
to get out and either hike or paddle the local backcountry.
Upon their return to Canada,
Pat and Bruce
settled in Ottawa
where they decided
to open PMH Outdoors. The main premise
and focus of PMH Outdoors was to share the wonder and beauty that
Canada
’s wilderness has
to offer with others … and this remains so today.
PMH Outdoors began offering Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking
Association (ORCKA) courses when time permitted
and running a few guided canoe trips within
Ontario. As time passed,
PMH Outdoors matured and became a much busier operation reaching further
into the Canadian Wilderness.
Recognizing the
need and benefit to
clients, Pat and Bruce grew the
PMH Outdoors team, to include a larger group of amazing guides and instructors.
It
is of special note that both Pat and Bruce have volunteered thousands
of hours and have been very active on the ORCKA Board of Directors over the last decade. Pat is
currently performing the duties of ORCKA Vice President of Instruction and
Bruce is the current President of ORCKA.
Bruce
retired from the Canadian Army in 2000 and at that time
their home
was moved to
just outside of Arnprior,
Ontario
(just West of Ottawa ),
at the
confluence of the
Mississippi River
and the
Ottawa River,
It is an ideal
locale to conduct on-water canoe and kayak instruction. PMH Outdoors
enjoys all of the benefits of a family operation with great atmosphere! Some of the guides have
been with the company since the beginning and are truly at home in the
remote Canadian wilderness! PMH Outdoors is still expanding so stay tuned in the future as this story is
long from being over!
After and amazing wilderness
canoe trip on the Snake River, located in the Broken Back Range of the Rocky
Mountains, astride the Yukon, Northwest Territory border, Pat and I decided that
it was time to close PMH Outdoors. We continue to be active in the Ontario
paddling community and teach canoeing at a number of children's camps as a way
of ensuring that future generations can enjoy the waterways of Canada as much as
we do! |
