If you want to learn more about Bill Mason and the Mason family just take a look at the Mason Family website. Although the website contains plenty of information on canoeing, it’s also a great resource where you can learn more about the Mason family members Becky, Bill and Paul Mason, and how paddling and nature is such a huge part of their lives in many different aspects.
If you’ve watched the film Waterwalker you should need no introduction to Bill Mason. Bill was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves. He was born in 1929 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and graduated from the University of Manitoba School of Art in 1951. He developed and refined canoeing strokes and river-running techniques, especially for complex whitewater situations. He paddled the wilderness areas of Canada and the United States and left a legacy that includes books, films and artwork on canoeing and wild nature.
You can learn about Becky Mason’s perspectives on canoeing but also her passion for art. She has exhibited her work in Ontario and Quebec and participated in many exhibitions at galleries and art events. Rebecca is so passionate about canoeing and nature that she often conveys these subjects through her painting, writing, environmental activism, and as well as her speaking projects. She has contributed to many publications including, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society book and her work can be found in private collections in Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe.
Paul Mason is the son of the late Bill Mason. Paul appeared in his fathers’ Path of the Paddle films and books and eventually discovered a career as a canoe instructor, guide, and sportsman. He won a bronze in OC-1 at the Whitewater Freestyle Worlds in ’93. He also co-authored the instructional canoeing book Thrill of the Paddle. Paul is a freelance illustrative cartoonist and the creator of the online comic strip, Bubble Street.
Learn more about the Masons’ or visit their online store at http://www.redcanoes.ca/.
