Crazy Damn Canadians

Dave King, a local biologist approaching 80 years young, has hiked Mount Kilimanjaro in Eastern Africa a total of nine times!   This Prince George, BC resident also helped find and develop local hiking trails such as Viking Ridge, Fang Mountain, Caledonia Mountain and Driscoll Ridge.    Dave, who is 6’5”, also spends hundreds of volunteer hours a year helping maintain and improve our local trails. In addition, he is also a founder of the prestigious Ancient Forest, 110km’s east of Prince George.   Dave has travelled to most countries in the world, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma,) Laos, Cambodia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Russia, Estonia, Turkey, Mongolia, China, Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Easter Island, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize.     Dave skied in Bulgaria in the days of the Soviet Union, camped in Iceland, and has traveled extensively around Europe, including epic ski trips to Norway.    www.crazydamncanadians.ca

Dave Horton and Kyle Sampson are two major community builders in Prince George, but also best friends who share similar passions for music, entertainment, collaboration, charity work, innovative ideas and, of course, helping others.

Wesley Mitchell and Ivan Paquette are two community difference makers located in Prince George, British Columbia. They are the founders of the UHNBC Monday Night Drum Group, which met outside the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia for 47 days straight after the global pandemic arrived in March 2020, providing inspiration and hope for hospital patients, frontline workers and healthcare staff. Since then, they've been drumming outside the hospital every Monday evening for 21 consecutive months. Wes and Ivan continue to make an inspiring impact in Northern BC communities and have been recognized by their peers on a provincial and federal level. 

Clarence Boudreau is our guest for episode #26! Clarence, at age 90, just released his latest book titled I HEAR THE MOUNTAIN CALLING. This book is an eclectic collection of stories about Clarence Boudreau’s life, told in his own words with his own unique style and sense of humour. Reading this book, you will come to personally know Clarence as he shares stories about his family, his friends, and his love of the mountains and the outdoors. At the age of fifteen he started his career as a flunky in the cookhouse, then moved on to hand-falling with a crosscut saw, horse logging, and working in the sawmill. Over the years he served as a bush foreman, rancher, snowplowing contractor, forest warden, fire fighter, bridge builder, and as the manager of a salmon hatchery. While working to support his family, Clarence invested all his free time exploring the forests and waterways around his home town of Penny, BC., hiking and watching grizzlies in the nearby mountains, and hunting and fishing along the upper Fraser River. Clarence lived in Penny for eighty years before relocating to his current home on the banks of the Nechako River in Prince George, BC. He currently spends his time writing songs, singing, telling jokes, and entertaining his many friends with stories of days gone by.

Karin Piche is the Founder and Captain of Wheelin' Warriors of the North. Started in 2013 as part of the annual British Columbia Ride to Conquer Cancer, Karin and her team have gone on to raise nearly 1.2 million for the BC Cancer Foundation. Karin is a local health professional, athlete, mom, grandma and terrific human being. 

Mike Nash has over 40 years of experience with outdoor and backcountry recreation in Prince George and northern British Columbia and a lifetime total of more than 540 published works. Mike is the author of Outdoor Safety & Survival published by Rocky Mountain Books (Victoria) in March 2012; The Mountain Knows No Expert - George Evanoff, Outdoorsman and Contemporary Hero published by Natural Heritage Books and Dundurn (Toronto) in March 2009; Exploring Prince George - A Guide to North Central B.C. Outdoors published by Rocky Mountain Books (Calgary) in 2004 and in 2007; Outdoor Safety and Survival in British Columbia's Backcountry self-published (Prince George) in 2007; and has contributed to three prior books.   Since 1978, Mike has gained a broad knowledge of outdoor recreation resources, particularly relating to backpacking, hiking and walking opportunities in Central and Northern British Columbia. Mike has researched, organized and guided many hiking and backpacking trips, often including historical and natural history interpretation.  Before embarking on his own in 2000, Mike has 20 years of work experience in the Forest Industry in B.C. and 33 years in Information Technology in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. which helped broaden his understanding of community, educational and business needs relative to the shared resources in the north. Prior to moving to BC, while working in the field of telecommunications for the airline and travel industry, Mike gained an appreciation for that industry and of the outdoors in eastern Canada.

Gerry Chidiac is a high school teacher from Prince George, BC who has been inspiring young people for over 30 years.    Gerry specializes in teaching genocide studies, languages and working with at-risk students.  He sees his column as an extension of his classroom.  This difference maker is not afraid to look at the darker issues of humanity and is greatly inspired by the works of such writers as Victor Frankl and Stephen Covey.     Gerry believes that despite all the problems all around us, people are good and that we each have the capacity to change the world for the better, and working to achieve this goal brings meaning and joy to life.   Episode #23 is now available at the following streaming links:   YouTube: https://bit.ly/GerryChidiacPodcast   Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrazyDamnCanadians

Mr. Don Chamberlain is best known for being the principal of Kelly Road Secondary School for 13 years during the 80s and 90s. He spent 34 years with School District 57 in Prince George, with 22 of those 34 years spent in the Hart.    Streaming links:   Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrazyDamnCanadians    Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/ApplePodcasts CDC Website: www.crazydamncanadians.ca

Donny Marchuk is a 3-time Boston Marathon runner, social media influencer, Lululemon ambassador, KRSS alumni, fitness enthusiast and Calgary resident. Thank you for being a guest on Crazy Damn Canadians!    Streaming links:   Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrazyDamnCanadians    Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/ApplePodcasts CDC Website: www.crazydamncanadians.ca

Such an honour to have Dick Voneugen at the studio as a guest on the Crazy Damn Canadians podcast Born in Amsterdam in 1932, Dick moved to Prince George in 1965 and played a key role in shaping the local sports scene and culture. He is also the only person in history to receive the Prince George Citizen of the Year recognition (1995 and 2007). Some other fun facts about Dick: He loves classical music He ran 72km’s on his 72nd birthday He helped bring Terry Fox and Rick Hansen to PG in 1979 for a road race His best friend is Tom Masich He’s the highest fundraiser in PG Terry Fox Run history His family secretly and courageously hid Jewish families in their house during WW2 He turns 89 years old on July 24th. His one birthday wish is for people to go for a run (any distance or pace) on his birthday. Podcast link: http://bit.ly/DickVoneugen #CrazyDamnCanadians

Gaetano Mauro is commonly referred to as The Godfather of Soccer in Prince George! In this podcast episode, we talk about the extraordinary work Gaetano has accomplished in regards to elevating the presence and popularity of soccer in the City of Prince George and Northern British Columbia over the years.    Anyone who has ever laced up their cleats and stepped foot on a local pitch in this community is indebted to the decades of commitment Gaetano has put towards enhancing "The Beautiful Game" on a local level.   Thank you, Gaetano - aka - Papa G, the Italian Stallion - for being this week's guest on Crazy Damn Canadians!    Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrazyDamnCanadians   Website: www.crazydamncanadians.ca    http://bit.ly/GaetanoMauroPodcast

Mayor Lyn Hall has been an active member of the Prince George community for over 30 years. He first entered local politics in 2001 when he won a seat as a School Trustee on the Prince George School Board. He spent 10 years on the board holding various positions including vice-chair and chair. In 2011, he ran and successfully won a seat on Prince George City Council. As a Councillor, he was a member of several committees and community groups. In 2014 and 2018, he ran successful campaigns for Mayor of Prince George. Mayor Hall and his wife Lorrelle are the parents of twin daughters, both of whom graduated from UNBC. City involvement: Chair, Select Advisory Committee on Economic Development City of Prince George Finance and Audit Committee Director, Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) Board Member of the Prince George NDIT Regional Advisory Committee Director, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and representative to the Municipal Finance Authority Director, Prince George Community Foundation Municipal Finance Authority of BC Board Trustee BC Transit Board Member Past Chair, Northern Medical Programs Trust Chair of Regional District Public Safety and Emergency Management Standing Committee www.crazydamncanadians.ca

With ancestral roots in the Lheidli T’enneh, Cree and Secwépemc Nations, KYM GOUCHIE is fostering change through her music and art. Her music brings awareness to First Nations and women’s issues, promoting reconciliation and community building while reminding us that we are all in this together.  Her stories are a testament to the human spirit, weaving together threads of her own journey from personal tragedy to triumph. Kym’s traditional hand drum, clean, crisp acoustic guitar and full-bodied voice make her a powerful solo artist. She also performs as a duo, trio and full band, adding in vocal harmonies, keyboard, electric guitar, mandolin, banjo and cello by talented accompanists.  Traditional First Nations, folk, and country tones alongside poignant and inspirational lyrics capture the hearts of young and old — her genuine and heartfelt performances have a profound and sometimes emotional impact on their audience. A respected elder-in-training of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation, also known as Prince George, BC, Kym is sought after to perform and speak at traditional welcoming ceremonies, cultural gatherings, schools, and conferences. A warrior of the light, Kym’s inspirational music lifts the soul beyond its fettered state along the quest of creating a better world with compassion, understanding and forgiveness, reminding us that we are all in this together.   Streaming links:   Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrazyDamnCanadians   Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/ApplePodcastsCDC Website: www.crazydamncanadians.ca   http://bit.ly/KymGouchiePodcast

Brent Marshall is a prolific entrepreneur, industry titan and philanthropist who resides in Kelowna, British Columbia. While Marshall has made his mark on a menagerie of industries—auto, aviation, real estate, film production, construction, and health, to name a few—it is his philanthropic work benefitting children and the community that is perhaps his most fulfilling endeavour.    Brent's determination to have all of his companies donate to charity has allowed him to construct a Children’s Wing on the UNBC hospital, an outdoor patio for a pediatric ward, a Cancer Lodge Family Room, an outdoor all-wheels park for kids, and large donations to over 30 other charities.   Marshall was born into the sleepy commuter town of Hope, BC to a stay-at-home mom and a miner/butcher father. At 11, he watched as his parents courageously shouldered the burden of 16-hour days in a bid to improve their lives.  Following their example, Brent learned to hold down employment even as he juggled meal prep and chores in the trailer park, all while serving up a smorgasbord of scholastic achievement. By 15, he was working full-time and then some after school, 3 to 11 both weekdays and weekends.

Rick Hansen is the Founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation and a passionate supporter of people with disabilities in Canada. Rick is best known as the “Man In Motion” for his epic 26-month, 34 country, 40,000 km wheelchair trip around the world to make the world inclusive for people with disabilities and to find a cure for paralysis. Since the end of the Man In Motion World Tour in 1987, Rick has dedicated his life to creating a world that is accessible and inclusive for all by removing barriers for people with disabilities through the Rick Hansen Foundation. Rick and his team at the Foundation are dedicated to raising awareness, changing attitudes, helping create accessible spaces, and liberating the amazing potential of people with disabilities. To learn more about Rick Hansen, please visit www.www.rickhansen.com