An avid conservationist, Hap’s desire to assist and educate others in protecting and enjoying their environment led to his establishment of Ecotrailbuilders. Operating under the precept – integrity, sustainability & wellness– the company’s goal is to lessen the environmental impact of trail building, ‘surgically’ placing trails within the natural environment and ensuring all structures are sustainably built.

Hap co-founded the environment group, Earthroots, a grassroots conservation organization dedicated to the protection of Ontario’s wilderness, wildlife and watersheds, in 1986. His book, Voyages: Canada’s Heritage Rivers, won the Natural Resources Council of America Award for best environmental book of 1994. Hap also received the Bill Mason Award for lifetime achievement in river conservation.

Hap Wilson has traversed the mosaic of Canadian lakes and rivers for over forty years, mapping them, measuring them, updating them, and turning old water routes –routes first travelled by the First Nations peoples over 5,000 years ago – into trails safe for today’s adventurers.

Path of the Paddle:

The Path of the Paddle – a major part of the Trans Canada Canoe Trail – is a prime example of Hap’s mapping and survival skills. Developing the 1,250 kilometer water route through the wilderness from Thunder Bay on Lake Superior to Manitoba’s eastern border was a grueling, five-year endeavor. Undeterred by violent storms, isolation, biting insects, bitter cold and the threat of hypothermia, and the occasional bear confrontations, Hap slashed open old portage routes and established new ones. Organizers christened Hap’s section of the Trans Canada Trail the “Path of the Paddle”, a tribute to Bill Mason, “Mr. Canoe”, a noted Canadian naturalist, filmmaker, and author of The Path of the Paddle (en.m.wikipedia.org).

Guide Books: 

Hap’s comprehensive guidebooks clearly detail the best canoeing, kayaking and hiking routes of the area. They also contain notes on the region’s history, geography, archaeology and flora and fauna, as well as outlining important outfitting, camping and safety tips. His Path of the Paddle account can be found in his guidebook, Lake Superior to Manitoba by Canoe. Hap divided his journey into 12 routes, each depicting varying degrees of difficulty. Diary excerpts, hand-drawn maps, GPS coordinates, and photographs provide up to date information, expert guidance, and anecdotal observations.

From fiction and non-fiction, to historical, adventure and globally acclaimed outdoor guides, Hap’s books offer something for anyone interested in the great outdoors or in the myth, legend, and mystery of the Canadian north.

His new novel, Out of Abaddon, is Hap’s first work of fiction. It tells a story of wilderness and urban survival in a world turned upside down. It’s an adventure story; it’s a love story. But Out of Abaddon also acts as a modern survival guide in the event of a global infrastructure collapse. It’s pure fiction, but the background science is very real and Hap’s knowledge and experience as a wilderness skills instructor adds an extra measure of authenticity.