Elizabeth May
 Elizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist and lawyer. She has been active in the environmental movement since 1970.
Elizabeth is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School and was admitted to the Bar in both Nova Scotia and Ontario. She has held the position of Associate General Council for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, representing consumer, poverty and environment groups in her work. In 1986, Elizabeth became Senior Policy Advisor to then federal Environment Minister, Tom McMillan. She was instrumental in the creation of several national parks, including South Moresby.
She has served on numerous boards of environmental groups and advisory bodies to universities and governments in Canada, including the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the National Round Table on Environment and Economy and is currently a member of the Earth Charter International Council, co-chaired by Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Elizabeth is the recipient of many awards including the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Sierra Club in 1989, the International Conservation Award from the Friends of Nature, and the United Nations Global 500 Award in 1990.
In March 2006, Elizabeth stepped down as Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada, a post she had held since 1989, to run for the leadership of the Green Party of Canada. She was successful in her bid, was elected the Green Party's ninth leader at their national convention in August 2006 with a clear majority of the votes. Elizabeth is an Officer of the Order of Canada since 2005.
This information is a summary taken directly from Elizabeth May's bio published on the Green Party website.
Michael Runtz
 Michael Runtz is one of Canada's most highly respected naturalists, nature photographers, and natural history authors. A birdwatcher since the age of five, he has lived, breathed and worked with nature all his life. Professionally, Michael has worked as a naturalist in Canada's national and provincial parks, and has performed numerous biological surveys, including one on the rare Peregrine Falcon. A dynamic communicator, Michael Runtz is equally at home in the television or radio studio, lecture hall or classroom. Over 2000 people sign up every year for Michael's Natural History course. Televised from Carleton University, this is the most popular course of its type in Canada. This popularity arises largely from Michael's infectious and enthusiastic teaching style, for which he has received excellence in teaching awards from students and peers alike. He is also in great demand as a speaker for groups as diverse as outdoor educators, professional biologists, schoolchildren, and naturalists' clubs, As well, Michael is a popular guest on numerous television and radio shows, and regularly co-hosts phone-ins on CBC Radio Noon.
Six best-sellers all bear the stamp of author Michael Runtz's passion, knowledge and stunning photography. Moose Country, Algonquin Seasons, The Explorer's Guide to Algonquin Park, Beauty and the Beasts: The Hidden World of Wildflowers, Wild Things: The Hidden World of Animals and Wild Wings: The Hidden World of Birds. His seventh book, The Howls of August: Encounters with Algonquin Wolves, chronicles Michael's intimate experiences with one of the wild's most elusive inhabitants. In addition to his highly-acclaimed books, Michael's award-winning photographs and natural history columns grace the pages of a number of Canadian magazines and newspapers.
Michael Runtz is also well-known for his educational and conservation efforts, for which he has received numerous awards, including an Outstanding Service Award from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists. But nowhere else is Michael more in his element than in the natural world itself - howling with the elusive wolf, digging out salamanders from under a rotting log, luring in rutting moose with his skillful calls, or capturing speeding dragonflies with his butterfly net. His intimate familiarity with this world makes Michael the perfect ambassador for nature.
This informatin is taken from Michael Runtz's Carleton University online bio.
Mike Beedell
 Mike Beedell has been a freelance photographer for over 25 years working extensively in the areas of travel, editorial and the book publication sector. His keen interests in wilderness travel, indigenous people and unique wilderness environments have taken him from pole to pole.
Mike's interest in historical journeys has taken him on several epic adventures, including the first sail powered journey through the Northwest Passage in a tiny, two-man, open catamaran (a National Geographic feature film, May 1989) and retracing the last Inuit migration, a multi-cultural, 3,000 kilometer dogsled epic across the Canadian Arctic to Greenland (an Equinox feature Nov/Dec 1987 and nomination for a national magazine award). His latest expedition was a five-month kayaking and hiking project which was the first kayak circumnavigation of Bylot Island (18,000 sq.kms) in Sirmilik National Park. Bylot Island is a spectacular jewel at the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage.
Mike is the author of the Canadian best-seller The Magnetic North and photographer of the Canadian Geographic/Key Porter book The Northwest Passage. Over the past 25 years, he has been a regular contributor to some of the finest international magazines including features in National Geographic, Geo Germany, Equinox and Canadian Geographic.
Through his adventure travels across the planet, Mike has established an extensive photo-video library which is a major resource for publishers, magazines and advertising clients throughout the world.
As an international award-winning photographer, Mike is able to offer instruction in photographic technique, composition and artistic approaches.
He enjoys sharing his knowledge of the landscape, history and wild-life behavior and imparting his wilderness photographic skills to those who are interested.
This information is taken from Mike Beedle's online bio
Chris McKhool
 Chris McKhool is now a Juno nominated artist! His CD for young audiences 'FiddleFire has been nominated the award. Congratulations Chris.
Hailed as a "Children's musical star" (National Post) and "Canada's greatest eco-troubadour for young people" (Mississauga Living Arts Centre), Chris McKhool is one of Canada's hottest children's musicians. Chris has been touring across Canada with his children's concerts for ten years, reaching almost 1 million children, and has appeared on Mr. Dressup, YTV's Treehouse, TVOntario's Crawlspace and the CBC.
A champion of environmental issues, Chris won a 2005 Green Toronto Award of Excellence and was a finalist for the Environment Canada Action Award for his work in schools and communities across Canada with his CD and concert "Earth, Seas & Air". He has also won a Parent's Choice Award in the U.S. for his CD of the same name, produced by Ken Whiteley (Raffi). He has been the recipient of Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, FACTOR and PromoFact Awards.
In 1999 Chris received an Ontario Arts Council Grant to record "Turtle Island!", his environmental musical for children, on a CD. For three years Players by Nature, an environmental theatre company based in Toronto, produced Chris' play, touring it in schools across Ontario and bringing it to Solar Stage in Toronto and the National Gallery Auditorium in Ottawa.
Chris has toured through all of Canada including Baffin Island and has appeared at the Ottawa, Vancouver, Thunder Bay and London International Children's Festivals. He has also performed in the U.S, England, Cuba, Guatemala and Tibetan schools across the Indian Himalayas.
Chris brings his love of violin to young audiences and tours his FiddleFire! concert for kids in festivals and schools across Canada. Closer to home he has performed at Toronto Harbourfront's Cushion Concert series, the Distillery Jazz Festival, and has headlined Toronto's First Night at the Skydome/Rogers Centre. The "FiddleFire!" CD is recorded and will be released this spring.
Chris continues to perform both with his children's concerts as well as with Sultans of String
This information is taken from Chris McKhool's website bio
David Archibald
 His work on Great Lakes marine heritage Spirit of the Inland Sea has been featured at National and Provincial Parks as well as the Blyth Festival. He was invited to give a workshop on traditional music of the Great Lakes at the North American Folk Alliance Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
Parks have also commissioned David to write and record collections on their natural and cultural history. Pukaskwa: Songs of Superior is a CD created for the National Park on Lake Superior. David has also produced Savanna, Sand and Butterflies for Pinery and Legends and Lore of the Charleston Shore for Charleston Lake Provincial Park. His interactive live performances in parks across Ontario have become camper favourites.
David's music is regularly featured on CBC radio programmes such as The Vinyl Cafe, Morningside, Fresh Air, Ontario Morning, Radio Noon and more. He has toured extensively across Canada and the U.S. as well as Bermuda. He has performed at Nathan Philips Square, Harbourfront, Queen's Park and the Winter Garden in Toronto.
Recordings include: Spirit of the Inland Sea; Pukaskwa: Songs of Superior; Savanna, Sand & Butterflies (Exploring 'Pinery' in Song); St, Nora's Tower and Titanic: Pride of the White Star Line .
Much of David's work has been in the field of children's music. He has written for and performed on Sesame Street in New York and CBC's Mr. Dressup. His score to Return of the Tiger was a hit at the Guelph Spring Festival. His song-writing workshops for children have earned the Heritage Youth Leaders Award from the Ontario Heritage Foundation.
This information is taken from David Archibald's online bio.
James Gordon
 Based in Guelph, Ontario, James Gordon is known to many North Americans as the founder of Canada's premier folk group TAMARACK. With this durable trio he toured every corner of the continent, recorded fourteen albums, and made countless television and radio appearances. He has become well-known for his original songs about Canada's identity and heritage.
He was a regular songwriting contributor to the CBC radio programmes "Ontario Morning" and "Basic Black". He has also released numerous solo albums for adults and children , composed works for symphony orchestras, co-written a popular series of "Jim and Dave" family musicals and written music for theatre, dance and film. His original folk opera "Hardscrabble Road" debuted in 2003.
His songs have been recorded by a number of other artists including The Cowboy Junkies, Melanie Doane, Hilary Spencer, Al Simmons, Ian Bell and James Keelaghan. This year his song "Frobisher Bay" was featured on Canada's most successful television program ever, "Canadian Idol", and his song "Mining For Gold" is in the new John Sayles film "Silver CIty" starring Kris Kristoferson, Daryl Hannah and Richard Dreyfus.
These days James tours North America and Great Britain as a solo act or accompanied by Sandy Horne on bass and Marion Linton on fiddle. He produces CDs for other artists at his Pipe Street Studios.
This information is taken from James Gordon's website bio
David Phillips
 David Phillips, generally acknowledged as Canada's foremost weather expert, has been called "a genuine Canadian legend" and "our unofficial weather guru." However, he would rather think of himself as a weather ambassador for Canada, claiming that we have been blessed with one of the world's healthiest and safest climates. As a Senior Climatologist, Mr. Phillips; work involves activities relating to the study, promotion and understanding of the Canadian climate. As a spokesperson for the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), he is best suited to discuss weather and climate issues on a national scale.
David Phillips has published several books, including The Climates Of Canada, Blame It On The Weather, and the bestseller The Day Niagara Falls Ran Dry. He is also the originator and author of Canada's most popular calendar, The Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar. He is also a familiar face and voice on national radio and television. In recognition for his work, Mr. Phillips has received the Patterson Medal for Distinguished Service to Meteorology in Canada, the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada and the Public Service Merit Award.
This information is taken from David Phillips' online bio published by Environment Canada. |
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