Who We Are

Kayak Ontario is a sea kayaking school and outfitter built around access, mentorship, and rigorous instruction. We run Paddle Canada and ORCKA certified courses from beginner to instructor-trainer level, lead multi-day expeditions on Georgian Bay, Lake Superior, and the Atlantic coast, and operate a Canadian retail dealership for Valley Sea Kayaks, Rockpool, and other specialist brands.

Our approach is built on three principles: evidence-based coaching, transparent assessment, and student-centred progression. We don't gatekeep, we don't perform, and we don't run courses to fail students. We run them to teach.

You Belong Here

Kayak Ontario is committed to making sea kayaking a place where everyone belongs. We welcome paddlers and staff of all genders and identities, explicitly including Two Spirit, trans, non-binary, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, Deaf and disabled paddlers, and neurodivergent learners.

That commitment is built into how we teach, not just what we say. Our instructors train in Safe Sport and the Universal Code of Conduct, in trauma-informed and consent-based coaching, and in adapting instruction for neurodivergent, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing paddlers. Participants take part in the gender category they identify with, without any requirement to disclose personal information. Everyone has the right to be addressed by their chosen name and pronouns, on and off the water.

If something about a course would be a barrier for you — gear that doesn't fit, a change room arrangement, a physical accommodation, anything at all — tell us before you book and we will work it out. That conversation stays between you and us.

Our Team

Kayak Ontario's full-time staff are the people who design our curriculum, lead our expeditions, and teach the majority of our courses. Each holds active Paddle Canada and/or ORCKA certifications and is committed to ongoing professional development.

Iza Paixão

Head Coach and Program Manager, Education

ORCKA Instructor Trainer (Sea Kayaking, Kayak Tripping) · Paddle Canada Level 3 Skills · Level 2 Instructor · Level 1 Instructor Trainer

Iza is Kayak Ontario's Head Coach and one of the key architects of our modern curriculum. She holds Instructor Trainer credentials with both ORCKA and Paddle Canada and brings a relational, trauma-aware coaching style to every course. As Program Manager for education she owns course scheduling, instructor development, and quality assurance across our teaching programs. Iza is bilingual (English and Portuguese) and leads expeditions on the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast.

This seat is open

Head Guide and Program Manager, Expeditions

Vacant — accepting applications

Paddle Canada and/or ORCKA Level 2 Instructor or above · Wilderness First Aid · Several seasons leading multi-day trips

The counterpart to our education vertical. This person owns our expedition and touring programs across Ontario and Nova Scotia: leading trips and mentoring guides in season, and building routes, permits, guiding resources and emergency response plans through the winter. It is a permanent, salaried, twelve-month role. Full description and terms are on our careers page.

Jill Graham

Instructor and Guide

Paddle Canada Level 2 Skills · Level 1 Instructor · Basic Instructor Trainer candidate

Jill is a full-time instructor and trained classroom teacher whose pedagogical background informs every clinic she leads. Her instruction is clear, sequenced, and accessible, particularly for first-time paddlers and those returning to the sport after time away. Jill is currently progressing through her Basic Instructor Trainer pathway, which positions her to take on instructor development as she advances. She blends technical precision with the patient, student-centred approach that defines Kayak Ontario's coaching culture.

Kathleen Stevack

Instructor and Guide

Paddle Canada Level 3 Skills · Level 2 Instructor

Kathleen is a full-time expedition guide and Great Lakes scientist specializing in freshwater ecosystems, marine habitats, and water quality. Her coaching combines strong rescue and rough-water skills with a calm, welcoming approach that suits paddlers new to multi-day travel. Kathleen brings field science directly into her instruction, helping students read coastal environments with depth most schools can't offer. She also knows more about mayflies than anyone should reasonably be expected to.

Tristan Amor

Coach

Paddle Canada Level 2 Skills · Level 1 Instructor · Rolling Instructor

Tristan came to sea kayaking as a paddler first and stayed for the teaching. He coaches across our introductory programs and runs our rolling clinics, where patience matters more than technique and he has plenty of both. A barber by trade, he is our presence in Hamilton and usually the first coach local paddlers meet. Outside the boat he is a fixture of the city's east-end running community, which is much the same skill set at a different tempo.

Aaron Gascoyne

Founder and Director

ORCKA Instructor Trainer (Sea Kayaking, Kayak Tripping) · Paddle Canada Level 4 Skills · Level 3 Instructor · Level 2 Instructor Trainer

Aaron founded Kayak Ontario after a career in industrial automation and renewable energy systems, bringing a systems-engineering perspective to instructional design. He holds active instructor-trainer credentials with both major Canadian certification bodies and is the primary author of Kayak Ontario's Level 1 through Level 3 skills manuals and online courses. His written work focuses on clarity, accessibility, and removing the performance culture that has historically gatekept the sport. Aaron leads expeditions across the Great Lakes and the Maritimes, and is one of Canada's most active sea kayaking educators.

Community Partners

Kayak Ontario invests in organizations whose work protects the places we paddle and makes the outdoors more inclusive and accessible. We support these partners through funding, gear, instruction, and program collaboration.

Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association

Tobermory-based charity working on conservation, restoration, and sustainable development across the northern Bruce Peninsula.

EcoAdventures

Four-season guided adventures on the Bruce Peninsula that fund Biosphere conservation work.

Anishinaabe Cultural Experiences

Land-based learning, guided hikes, and Anishinaabe teachings led by Indigenous guides at Cape Croker Park, Neyaashiinigmiing.

Colour the Trails

Outdoor opportunities and safe spaces for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour across Canada.

Abilities In Motion

Adaptive canoeing and kayaking for paddlers of all abilities, with adaptive equipment and certification programs in Alliston and London.

Bruce Trail Conservancy

Preserving a conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment and maintaining Canada's oldest marked footpath.