Our Team
Learn about the team that is inspiring Canada by canoe!
Our passionate staff team oversees the daily operations of the Museum, and our visionary Board of Directors guides the organization.
Meet the Staff
Executive Team
Carolyn Hyslop
Executive Director
Carolyn has been leading The Canadian Canoe Museum since 2016 when the activities related to building a new waterfront museum and leading a national capital campaign began in earnest. Working with a committed board and an inspiring team of staff, volunteers and a national community of supporters and partners, she is grateful to have the privilege of bringing the vision for a transformational cultural offering to fruition. Having begun her career with the Museum in 2002, she has held many roles, including Education Coordinator, Public Programs Manager, Director of Operations and General Manager. She earned a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University’s Outdoor and Experiential Education program and a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University.
Curatorial Team
Jeremy Ward
Curator
Jeremy’s involvement with the Museum began as a volunteer. He joined the staff in 1997. Previously, he coordinated a field school for Trent University in the Nunavut community of Pangnirtung and undertook cabinetmaking, birch bark canoe building and archaeological work in Greece. A graduate of Trent University’s Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies programs, Jeremy’s work has included curating or producing more than ten major exhibitions, many of which are still on display or travelling. He has also researched and been featured in documentaries aired on the Discovery Channel and the BBC, including most recently, The Nature of Things. A notable project was the research and construction of a 36-foot birch bark canoe. Working before the public at the Museum along with a team of volunteers, Jeremy built an authentic, functional example of the canot du maître, the workhorse vehicle of the 18th and early 19th-century fur trade in Canada. Jeremy has also acted as the Director of the Museum Small Craft Association on a volunteer basis.
Beth Stanley
Associate Curator
Beth has been with the Museum in many different capacities since 2006. After starting as a seasonal staff, she worked to grow the Artisan Workshop Program and took on her current role in the Curatorial Department. Beth has had a life-long love of making things, and she found her passion for sharing history and traditional skills in a previous position at a living history site. The highlight of her work is to see workshop participants make things in a class that they never thought possible and leave the Museum feeling inspired to take on new projects. She earned an Honours Degree in Arts and Science at the University of Guelph, combining her interests in History and Biology into her studies; she carries her love of both into her work at the Museum.
MaryJane Proulx
Exhibits Project Coordinator
MaryJane, Nishnaabeg-Scottish kwe, joined the team as the Exhibits Project Coordinator in 2021. Prior to this role, she volunteered, interned and worked at the Museum in different capacities since 2016. MaryJane holds a Bachelor with Honours in History and Environmental Resource Studies, a diploma in Ecosystem Management Technology and a certificate in Museum Management & Curatorship. She has worked as an Artisan Interpreter and Tour Guide at the Museum, teaching visitors about Indigenous-settler histories through the story of the canoe. She has also worked for Dalhousie University as a researcher, exploring Indigenous knowledge systems and partnerships in ocean stewardship. In 2023 MaryJane was invited to present to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute on ethical research and reciprocal collaboration with Indigenous Nations. MaryJane’s ultimate goal in both her personal and academic career is to bridge cultures and relationships through ecological problem-solving and storytelling.
Dane Allendorf
Collections Assistant
Dane joined the Museum in 2021, starting as an intern, and is currently in the role of Collections Assistant. With previous work experience at Algonquin Provincial Park, a bachelor’s degree in History from Trent University, and a post-graduate diploma from Fleming College in Museum Management and Curatorship, Dane is excited to begin his career as an emerging museum professional. From Elora, Ontario, he is proud to be involved with the Museum in preparing the collection for its move and is passionate about the preservation and sharing of knowledge of different cultures at the Canadian Canoe Museum.
Nicholas VanExan
Collections Assistant
Nicholas joined the Museum in January 2022 as a Collections Assistant. Since then, he has been busy preparing the entire collection for the move to the new location, including cleaning, stabilizing, cataloguing each canoe and installing it onto its own customized cradle for both transport and long-term housing. Nicholas has worked with a number of museum collections in various capacities. This has included assisting in cataloguing Farmtown Park’s collection, preparing the archival collection of the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County for a move to a new location and the complete design and installation of a special exhibit for the Belleville Fire Department in conjuncture with Glanmore National Historic Site. He has a strong interest in rural Canadian history, which he caters to with his hobbies of merging the old ways of doing things with modern understanding. Nicholas has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology and History, as well as a Master of History, focusing on early Irish culture and literature, both from the University of Guelph. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma from Fleming College in Cultural Heritage Conservation Management.
Programs Team
Peter Vooys
Programs Manager
Peter joined the Museum staff in 2022, bringing his experience in outdoor education and wilderness travel to his role as Programs Manager. He has worked as a backcountry guide, outdoor centre instructor, summer camp director, and an occasional secondary school teacher. In 2013, Peter was part of a team that paddled a 26’ north canoe over 5000km across Canada. Over 120 days, they retraced the paddle strokes and portage paths of the of the North West Company from Rocky Mountain House, AB, to Lachine, QC. You can read about their Paddle Across Canada Tour here. Peter has earned a B.PHE, B.Hist and B.Ed(Outdoor & Experiential Education) from Queen’s University and an M.Ed from Queen’s focusing on canoe expedition pedagogy.
Simone Romain
Programs Registrar
Simone joined the Museum as a staff member in Fall 2024. With a background in Outdoor Education, Administration, and Event Management, she is excited to support educational programs as well as event bookings as the Programs Registrar. After graduating from the University of Guelph with an Honours Degree in Geography, Simone moved to the West Coast of Canada where she has spent much of her life camping and trekking on Vancouver Island. Having returned to Ontario where she grew up, she is thrilled to be immersed in the beautiful wilderness of the Kawarthas.
Development Team
Kate Kennington
Development Manager
Kate joined the Museum in 2018 and has a varied career background, including the healthcare, education and charitable sectors, with over ten years experience in administration in Ontario and Manitoba. Most recently, Kate was the Family Support Manager at Threads of Life – the Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support. With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Sociology from Trent University, she is also a graduate of the Post-Grad Event Management Program at Fleming College and is proud to call Peterborough home.
Meghan Walsh
Volunteer and Stewardship Coordinator
Meghan joined the Museum staff in Fall 2024. Returning to Peterborough where she completed her Bachelor of Arts Honours in Anthropological Archaeology at Trent University, followed by a postgraduate certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship from Fleming College, she is excited to also return to The Canadian Canoe Museum where she volunteered while at school. Bringing with her over 10 years of museum and heritage experience at various institutions in Ontario and Alberta, Meghan looks forward to bringing folks together to engage in the holistic stewardship of watercraft, the land, and community.
Marketing & Communications Team
Meg McShane
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Meg joined the CCM team at the end of 2022. As someone who remembers many visits to The Canadian Canoe Museum while growing up in Peterborough, she is thrilled to be a part of an organization she loves. After completing a film degree at Toronto Metropolitan University, Meg pursued a career in marketing and communications and gained experience working with, creating, and coordinating all kinds of content. Meg is passionate about sharing stories and loves inspiring others to get excited about nature and time outside.
Rachelia Giardino
Creative Content Developer
Rachelia is passionate about storytelling and relationship building. She enjoys bringing alive the countless stories held within the more than 600 canoes and kayaks in the Museum’s collection, and the people and places they connect us to. Rachelia joined the Museum in 2018 as Interim Volunteer Manager before taking on the roles of Marketing and Social Media Specialist in 2019 and Marketing and Communications Manager from 2022 to 2024, before stepping back to focus on her health and creative work projects. She has more than ten years of experience in program development and community organizing and comes to the Museum from the Kawartha World Issues Centre. Rachelia holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Gender Studies from Trent University.
Administrative Team
Diana Francis
Finance Officer
Raised in Peterborough, Diana returned to her hometown in 2018 and joined our team as Finance Officer. With diplomas in Accounting, Office Administration and Human Resources, Diana brings over twenty years of experience in payroll, employee benefits, finance and business operations. Diana’s employment history includes working for accounting firms in both Calgary and Peterborough, Office Manager for Dart Canada in Campbellford and a finance position at Ste. Anne’s Spa, in Grafton. Given her employment history, it’s evident that Diana is pleased with her role as Finance Officer with The Canadian Canoe Museum, which allows her to continue in a position she enjoys and remain in Peterborough.
Museum Board of Directors
Kevin Malone
Chair
Kevin Malone has been with BMO Financial Group for over 30 years in senior leadership roles with two business groups, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.
He has an MBA from the Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University, and a certificate from the Sauder School of Business Family Enterprise Advisor Program, University of British Columbia.
Kevin is active in the community; in addition to his Chair role at the Canadian Canoe Museum, he is a Trustee of Lakefield College School, a Director and past President of Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme’s National Board, and has served on the fundraising committees for a number of not-for-profit organizations including Nature Conservancy of Canada, Stratford Express and Dixon Hall. Kevin is a recipient of Her Majesty the Queen Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) and recipient of the Commemorative Coin in Honour of the Duke of Edinburgh for Volunteer Service (2021).
Kevin and his wife, Mona, are proud parents to 3 children and, as a family, are actively involved in amateur sports, travel, the arts and numerous charitable organizations.
He joined the Museum’s board in 2018, was the Finance & Audit Committee Chair from 2019 to 2022 and is currently the Fundraising Cabinet Chair.
Margaret (Meg) Beckel
Meg Beckel is an accomplished leader in the education, post-secondary and arts & culture sectors. Her skills and experience include senior administration, fundraising, finance and operations, brand framing, strategic planning, board governance and change management as well as oversight of major construction projects.
Meg has championed and led transformational challenges in the national organizations she has served. With her success, she has earned a reputation for being direct, transparent, committed, honest, tenacious, and fair. She has also managed to maintain a sense of humor.
Having a great deal of experience working with organizations similar to The Canadian Canoe Museum, Meg has thrived in many roles at a variety of organizations. This includes President & CEO at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Vice President of External Relations at the University of Waterloo, Chief Operating Officer at the Royal Ontario Museum, President and Executive Director of the ROM Foundation, and President of the University of Victoria Foundation.
Meg holds a BA in Political Science from Queen’s University, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario, and attended the Rotman School of Management, Institute of Corporate Directors, Directors Education Program.
Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn found her love of canoes and canoe tripping as a camper and then staff member with Camp Wapomeo, a Taylor Statten Camp in Algonquin Park. She is an experienced Customer Success and Sales Executive and has worked at several successful Canadian startups. Jocelyn lives in Toronto, and spends her summers on the shores of Lake Huron and her winters skiing in the Rockies.
Meredith Brown
Meredith Brown, a champion for freshwater protection, is widely known throughout the vast Ottawa River Watershed as the founding Riverkeeper and former leader of the charitable organization Ottawa Riverkeeper, a licensed member of Waterkeeper Alliance.
Meredith holds degrees in biology, environmental engineering and resource and environmental management. Meredith is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and was awarded the Nature Inspiration Award from the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Over 15 years as a Riverkeeper, Meredith significantly raised the profile of the Ottawa River and brought together community organizations, municipal, provincial, and federal governments, First Nation leaders, industry and civil society to work collaboratively to protect and restore the ecological health and resilience of the watershed. Under Meredith’s leadership, Ottawa Riverkeeper brought annual paddling events back to the Ottawa River, created a large network of dedicated citizen scientists and was a founding affiliate of the Waterkeeper Swim Guide.
Connecting Canadians to their local lakes, rivers, and oceans is Meredith’s passion. She is continuing her work in this field through several exciting projects, always with a focus on water protection and restoration.
Bryan Buttigieg
Bryan is a partner at Miller Thomson LLP. He is a certified specialist in Environmental Law and is considered by his peers to be one of the leading environmental lawyers in Canada. He is a former Chair of the Rouge River Watershed Task Force that developed a multi-jurisdictional watershed plan for the Rouge River Watershed. He served for eight years as a board member of the Durham Children’s Aid Society and was President for three of those years. Bryan emigrated to Canada as a teenager and fell in love with canoeing and its importance to understanding Canadian geography, history and cultures. With his wife and later their children, he has travelled to numerous local and remote rivers and hopes to continue to do so for many years to come.
Kate Farnell
Kate Farnell is the Senior Director of Finance, Corporate Service at University Health Network in Toronto. She has twenty years of professional experience in finance and accounting, including prior roles with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Kate began her career at Ernst & Young LLP and became a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) in 2007. She completed a Bachelor of Science at Queen’s University before going on to earn a Master’s of Management and Professional Accounting at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Kate and her husband, Steve enjoy spending time lakeside with their four young children at their cottage north of Kingston.
Vicki Grant
Past Chair
Vicki Grant is from the Loon Clan, Teme-Augama Anishnabai Qway, (Deep Water Woman) whose Traditional Territory is the Temagami area in Northern Ontario. She is a status Indian registered as a member of the Temagami First Nation, a status given to her through Canada’s Indian Act. She would describe her most important roles in her life is that of being a wife, mother, and grandmother. Throughout her career, always with a passionate voice, in her work and in her volunteer activities has always been and continues to be an advocate for more robust Indigenous engagement. Vicki has served on the board of directors for a number of Foundations, locally, provincially and nationally, including as Chair of the Board of Directors for Community Foundations of Canada.
Brian Groves
Brian Groves is an avid paddler and outdoor enthusiast originally from Temagami, Ontario, who lives in Whitehorse, Yukon. He is a graduate of both Trent University and Fleming College and had his first job in the museum sector welcoming visitors to the Kanawa Canoe Museum – Temagami Collection. He has been working in the museum and heritage sector for close to 20 years.
Brian is currently the Manager, Museums and Heritage for the Department of Tourism and Culture, Government of Yukon. He is responsible for managing a broad range of programs and technical services in support of Yukon museums, interpretive centres and First Nation cultural/heritage centres and oversees the management Yukon’s archaeology, palaeontology and place names programs.
Brian has served on the executive of the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada, including as President from 2014 to 2016. Brian has worked with other cultural heritage institutions, including the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre as Manager.
Dr. Jenny Ingram
Dr. Jenny Ingram is a specialist in Internal and Geriatric Medicine, practicing in Peterborough, Ontario. She is the Founder and Principal Investigator at the Kawartha Centre ~ Redefining Healthy Aging, a specialist geriatric clinic and clinical research site for dementia. Jenny is also the founding Chair of both the Peterborough Council on Aging and the Peterborough chapter of Osteoporosis Canada. Her pivotal role in supporting primary care management of complex seniors led to the development of the Geriatric Assessment and Intervention Network (GAIN) and the Seniors Care Network. She is the recipient of countless awards and accolades, including the Irma M. Parhad Award for Excellence from the Consortium of Canadian Centers for Clinical Cognitive Research, the Glenn Sawyer Service Award from the Ontario Medical Association for outstanding contributions to the medical profession and the community, Trent University’s Community Leaders Award, and the Senior’s Care Excellence Visionary Award from the Seniors Care Network.
Deborah Jacobs
Deborah Jacobs is a Councillor with Curve Lake First Nation and an active member of her community. Having lived in Curve Lake all her life, Deborah worked for many years at the Curve Lake Day Care Centre and also taught early childhood education classes for the Anishinabek Education Institute in North Bay. Her parents, Aileen and Amos Irons, are full-blooded Ojibway, both from Curve Lake. Deborah’s family is her “pride and joy.” She has been married for 46 years and has three sons and ten grandchildren. She has always enjoyed the water; fishing, boating and canoeing at her family cabin on Dead Horse Island have played a significant part in her life.
Ellisa Johnson
I am AnishnaabeKwe – Michi Saagig /Irish from Pemadeshkodeyong (Hiawatha) First Nation.
I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother; those are my primary roles in life.
I have been a social worker for the majority of my career working primarily on First Nation/Indigenous issues with a concentration on women’s health, Federal Offender services and most recently, cultural services within my community and Nation. I have worked for Correctional Service Canada delivering Elder services and in the last several years I have had the opportunity to provide cultural training for correctional cadets prior to their becoming federal Correctional Officers which is a first for CSC and I am honoured to do this in collaboration with my daughter who is a 25 year veteran with the service. My husband and I have conducted cultural facilitation workshops both in Canada and the United States over the past 20 years and have found the learning from these endeavours to have been both fulfilling and a great source of guidance for our own personal journey as Indigenous people. I would say that my true gift in my work has been to be a Shkaabewis or Helper for my people regardless of the position I have held in my employment. My worldview comes based in a solid understanding of my culture and spirituality which then informs my interest in land-based learning. Being a Lodge woman in the Nakona Medicine Lodge and understanding the strength of Indigenous philosophies and perspectives have led me to a positive relationship with the Canadian Canoe Museum and I am honoured to have been accepted as a member of the board as of June 2024.
Chris MacLean
A resourceful global procurement professional with over 40 years experience with leading fortune 500 companies including his last positions with Molson Coors Brewing Company as past Senior Director Global Procurement & Head of Procurement, Canada. Chris’s background includes familiarity and expertise in contract management, risk management of commodities, mergers & acquisitions, managing budgets for large capital projects and the purchase of brewing & packaging materials across a global footprint. As a change leader, Chris continues to consult on a part-time basis with small businesses & start-ups in and around the Peterborough area. Chris’s latest consulting engagement was providing a supporting role as Project Manager for the new Canoe Museum build. As a canoe enthusiast throughout his life, Chris has many fond memories canoeing at the family cottage in Muskoka or attending many summers at camp as an avid canoe tripper at Camp Ahmek, a Taylor Statten camp in Algonquin Park and continues as supporting alumni in the growth of Rosseau Lake College, an outdoor school, in Muskoka. Chris currently resides in Peterborough.
Guillaume Rivest
Guillaume Rivest never really stays in place for long. Passionate about everything, he is a journalist, columnist, outdoor guide and canoe trainer. He particularly enjoys exploring his native Abitibi-Témiscamingue, whether skiing, hiking, snowshoeing or canoeing. When the adventure calls him, he answers present. Among his significant experiences, Guillaume is one of the ten «settlers» who crossed the Atlantic by sailboat in the conditions of the 17th century as part of the docu-reality «La grande traversée». More recently, he spent 26 days skiing from Rouyn-Noranda to Montreal to deliver a column on Radio-Canada. With a Bac in Applied Politics and a Master’s in Environmental Management, Guillaume sincerely believes that the outdoors creates an attachment to the territory and that this attachment will push us to protect it more.
Tim Rutherford
Tim Rutherford, CPA, CMA, is the CFO and Associate Head of School at Lakefield College School. Lakefield College was established in 1879 and is a co-ed boarding high school that currently welcomes students from over 40 countries around the world. In addition to the financial duties for the School and Foundation, Tim is responsible for major capital projects and year-round operations. Tim previously held senior finance and management roles at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada and PepsiCo Foods (Quaker Oats Company). Tim resides in Peterborough and has been involved locally as a Board member (Finance Chair) at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (GPAEDC) and the Peterborough Hockey Association (coach and manager).
Doris Stamml
Doris Stamml is a Certified Corporate Director (ICD.D) and a seasoned professional and executive with more than 30 years of experience working in a leading professional and consulting services organization. Doris has been a long-standing member of Ernst & Young LLP’s Executive Committee and its Chief Legal Counsel with deep expertise in governance, risk management, ethics and compliance, strategy and business planning and execution, and talent management.
She is deeply passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and has been recognized for her long track record of championing the next generation of female leaders. Doris is a past member of Cabinet of the United Way of Toronto and York Region, where she co-chaired its Women United Initiative.
Doris is an avid canoeist and camper who has for many years, together with her husband and family, enjoyed canoe camping in Algonquin Park and paddling at her family cottage in Haliburton.
Garth Wallbridge
Garth Wallbridge is a Metis man born in the Red River Settlement who has lived in Yellowknife, NWT, for over 40 years.
He is the proud father of a daughter who is a family physician in Fort Smith, NWT, who has three children, making him a Mushem, the Michif word for grandfather, a role which makes him exceptionally happy (Michif is his mother’s language, the language of the Metis). His son is a CPA who lives and works in Montreal. The Hudson Bay Archives show that seven of his forefathers were canoemen and two of them had the added job description as Cree interpreters. Garth likes to joke that he, as a lawyer, hopes that the added job duty entitled them to extra pay.
Garth has lived in Nunavut and the NWT since he was a young man, driving his sled dog team on Hudson Bay and racing on Great Slave Lake. He is a dog sled and snowshoe builder, as well as a wooden canoe rebuilder. His wife Pat, also Metis from Manitoba, is lovingly known as the Director of Finance – she has an MBA and has gently urged him to stop acquiring old wooden canoes until he gets more of his sizeable inventory rebuilt.
His law practice today, part-time as he heads towards retirement, is becoming more and more focused on wills and estates for Indigenous Peoples and serving on Boards of Directors.
