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The Backroads Bill Podcast

The Backroads Bill Podcast

By: North Bay Echo
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Summary
 It’s time to hit the backroads of Northern Ontario and beyond with Backroads Bill!

Tune in every Wednesday to explore the history and beauty of Northern Ontario. Alongside host and producer Ben, Bill (who is the founder and the GM of the Canadian Ecology Centre) goes more in depth to the stories he has been sharing for years on CBC Radio and Village Media.

Whether it’s a “day-trip” “overnight-trip” or “Sunday drive” you will discover your next great adventure!



Follow Bill on Facebook & Instagram: @backroads_bill

and on Twitter: @steertonorthONT


For the video version of this episode or to explore more North Bay podcasts and to stay updated on local events and news go to NorthBayEcho.ca.

For exclusive North Bay updates and insights, subscribe to our newsletter Echo Essentials.

Stay connected with Echo on social media: @NorthBayEcho



Production Credits:

Host: Backroads Bill

Producer: Ben Sargent

Produced by Clark CommunicationsCopyright North Bay Echo
Episodes
  • What Is the Bird of Fire? Meet One of Canada’s Rarest Birds

    What Is the Bird of Fire? Meet One of Canada’s Rarest Birds
    4 Nov 2026
    In this episode of The Backroads Bill Podcast, Ben Walters, a professor in the Forestry Technician program at Fleming College, joins the show to talk about the Kirtland’s Warbler.

    Ben explains what makes this small, yellow-breasted bird so hard to find, from nesting on sandy ground to needing young jack pine and red pine at just the right height.

    He shares how Michigan brought the species back from around 200 pairs to about 2,200 through forest management, and how projects in Simcoe County, on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and in Algonquin Park are trying to recreate the right conditions in Ontario, with his students planting trees, collecting native seed, and laying out nesting openings.

    0:00 Intro
    2:16 The Bird of Fire
    5:59 How Michigan Brought the Species Back
    10:18 Recreating Fire Habitat in Ontario
    21:07 Algonquin Park and the Kirtland's Warbler
    Show more Show less
    29 min
  • 100 Years of Giesler Boats: Wooden Boats Built by Hand in Northern Ontario

    100 Years of Giesler Boats: Wooden Boats Built by Hand in Northern Ontario
    28 Oct 2026
    In this episode of The Backroads Bill Podcast, Gerry and Matt Giesler of Giesler Boats join Bill and Ben ahead of the company’s 100th anniversary in 2027. As third and fourth generation boat builders, they share how their family has been building cedar strip wooden boats by hand in Powassan for nearly a century.

    Gerry tells the story of his grandfather Bernie, a First World War veteran and blacksmith who built a boat to go fishing on Lake Nipissing, then sold it to tourists before he could keep it for himself. He also explains why the family settled on 1927 as the official start of the business.

    Matt walks through the building process, from steaming the ribs until they bend like noodles to shaping them over molds that date back generations.

    0:00 Intro
    5:24 How Bernie Giesler Got Started
    10:16 How a Wooden Boat Is Built
    16:51 Why Choose a Wooden Boat?
    30:40 Celebrating 100 Years in 2027
    Show more Show less
    36 min
  • Following the Voyageurs to New Post Falls

    Following the Voyageurs to New Post Falls
    21 Oct 2026
    In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Andre Bernier of Northern Spirit Adventures joins Bill and Ben to share how he brings the history of the voyageurs to life on the waters of Northern Ontario.

    Andre explains how his connection to New Post Falls began, how that place became tied to memories of his father, and how those experiences eventually inspired him to start leading voyageur canoe trips.

    Along the way, he shares stories of the fur trade, Indigenous history, old travel routes, traditional songs, medicinal plants, and the people who once travelled the same rivers centuries ago.

    0:00 Intro
    3:03 How Northern Spirit Adventures Began
    8:43 The Voyageur Experience
    16:29 Bringing Northern Ontario History to Life
    30:29 A Full Day on the River
    Show more Show less
    35 min
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