Eric Church’s motto is simple: “Have paddle, will travel.” The associate consultant with T.E. Wealth in Toronto is an avid canoeist who makes one major — and very off-road — paddling trek a year.

“It’s about getting out of the city and slowing everything down,” says Church. “It’s become a tradition, a ritual. I reset myself. When I’m out there, it’s like I never left. I reflect back on the past year and set goals for the year ahead.”

Church, a native of Toronto and a certified financial planner, took his first canoe trip with friends as a teenager. The inaugural trip took the young men deep inside Ontario’s Algonquin Park. It was an adventure that continues today — but with much better toys. “We’ve gone from having primitive equipment to top-notch gear,” says Church, including items such as “stoves that almost pack away in your pocket and ultra-light tents.”

Those beginner trips used to last about five days, with the canoeists sticking to well-travelled paths. Now, the trips run 14 days and take the 29-year-old Church and his buddies deep into the wilderness.

One memorable excursion took place in 2009, when Church and his friends scaled Ishpatina Ridge, the highest peak in Ontario at roughly 693 metres. The area, about 90 kilometres north of Sudbury, is remote; getting to the mountaintop took a couple of days of portaging and 11 days of canoeing.

Church starts planning his annual trek each winter. This year, he’s hoping to make a dream come true: canoeing the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories. Considered by many to be the most visually diverse river on the planet, the Nahanni, flowing about 500 km west of Yellowknife, is the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also packed with rapids and wildlife, which has Church paddling cautiously toward his dream. “You’d have to know your whitewater skills,” he says.

Canoeing with caution is smart. “There is some danger in this,” says Church. “Concerns are paramount the first couple of days, then you tend to forget about it.”

He remembers paddling down a creek and rounding a bend — and then “almost running into a moose.” Fortunately, the moose allowed Church to paddle away unharmed.

Bears also can be a real threat. “We bring bear spray and food barrels to lock in smells,” says Church. “Luckily, we haven’t had any bad experiences with bears — but it’s always in the back of our minds.”

Weather is another danger; experience is the best defence. “If you’re on a big lake, don’t head down the middle,” cautions Church. “Bad weather can come up suddenly. We’ve been in some really rough waves, in which you can’t control the canoe. There have been times I’ve feared for my life.”

Being prepared is essential, and that goes beyond having the latest equipment. Church is trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and stays in good shape. He knows that when he’s out in the wilderness with his paddling pals, it’s not just his life on the line: “You rely on each other.”

Going to places where few other canoeists go also builds a bond, says Church: “It brings people together. It brings out the best qualities and the worst qualities in people. You really get to know someone.”

It’s not only Church’s canoe companions who are part of the annual trek. Paddling is a connection Church has been able to make with his clients, many of whom have cottages in northern Ontario. “This is a talking point that’s not financial,” he says. “Our clients are interested in adventure. It helps us to connect as people.” IE