For six years, Fred Blackstien kindly offered his services to co-host the highly popular Wilderness Skills Course. Hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts learned about reading maps, using compasses and GPS, and how to survive in the wilderness.
Over the years, Fred donated all registration fees to the FBP — thousands of dollars were raised for program enhancement at the Park.
Fred continues to be a strong supporter of the FBP and can often be seen paddling along the Bonnechere. Fred is shown here in his prized, original birch bark canoe built by Stan and Jackie Sarazin from the Pikwakanagan First Nation at Golden Lake. The Sarazins come from a family which is known internationally for the art of traditional birch bark canoe making. This canoe was built for display of the traditional methods at the International Plowing Match, held in Pembroke in 1994.