ABOUT JAMES RAFFAN | SPEAKER. WRITER. EXPLORER.
There’s a rumour afoot that James Raffan was born in a canoe on the Speed River in southwestern Ontario.
As much as James would like to believe that, his mother has trouble with some of those details. Truth be told James, a first generation Canadian, son of a midwife and artist from the North of Scotland and a Yorkshire physician, was born in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Guelph, Ontario and was reborn in a canoe on the mighty Speed River, in the sense that his worldview changed the first time he paddled a real canoe, near his home on the edge of Riverside Park in Guelph. And from that moment on, the light of his lamp has been lit by self-propelled motion to discover and comprehend the length and breadth of the country that his parents chose over Australia and South Africa as a place to emigrate and start afresh following WWII.
A boyhood of loving and learning about natural history wherever wild things might be found led to studies in Biology at Queen’s University. Leadership training at the Guelph YMCA and through Boy Scouts and summer camp led to interests in teaching and canoe trip leading that in turn led to expeditions of greater scope, work for Black Feather Wilderness Adventures as a guide throughout Northern Canada, and eventually, for a few years, to an honest to goodness job as a high school teacher of science, math, geography and music. Particular interest in outdoor and experiential education led him back to graduate study at Queen’s University which, in turn, led to a doctorate in cultural geography, and nearly 20 years as a member and eventually head of the Outdoor & Experiential Education Unit at Queen’s Faculty of Education.
In the spring of 1999, James resigned from his university teaching position and since then has been working as an independent writer and scholar from his home in the Rideau Lakes north of Kingston, Ontario. He continues to organize and participate in a variety of annual expeditions and adventures related to his writing and research interests but also to keep his hand in as a teacher and expedition leader. Along the way, James has spoken across Canada and around the world and published a number of bestselling books, including Summer North of Sixty, Rendezvous with the Wild, Tumblehome, Fire in the Bones, Emperor of the North and Circling the Midnight Sun. He has also written for National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Up Here, Explore and the Globe and Mail and produced radio and television documentaries for CBC Radio and the Discovery Channel.
His most recent book, published in September 2025 by Dundurn Press, is called Echo Maker. “…Part geography, part anthropology, part memoir, part author introspection, Echo Maker charts a course through rugged lands, waters and ice that have defined the lifeways and pathways of a people much older than Canada itself.” (Marie Wilson, Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada)
And here is a brief bio in Russian.
Camsell Medal Citation
A Royal Canadian Geographic Society award, named in honour of the Society’s founder (Charles Camsell). The purpose of the Camsell Medal is to bestow recognition upon, and express the Society’s appreciation to, individuals who have given outstanding service to the Society.
A renowned canoeist and passionate environmentalist, writer and speaker, Dr. James Raffan of Seeley’s Bay, Ont., has been an invaluable ambassador for The Royal Canadian Geographical Society over the past 15 years, particularly through his involvement with the Lectures program.
James Raffan was a professor of outdoor and experiential education at Queen’s University when he joined the Lectures Committee in 1994. He continues to contribute to the program with great enthusiasm. As chair from 1998 to 2003, he brought fresh ideas to the table and re-evaluated the basic tenets of the program, including the types of speakers and venues, the price of tickets and the definition of “lecture.”
He initiated ambitious speaker’s tours to reach more Society members and introduced partnerships for lecture series. In 1999, the Society collaborated with Queen’s University Alumni to present James Raffan Canoe Country, an extended lecture tour of seven cities in southern Ontario. The successful series attracted more than 2,260 people and was reproduced for the 2001 spring lectures in Ottawa, a testament to James Raffan’s exceptional talent as a speaker.
In 2004, he hosted True North, Wild and Free, a countrywide celebration of the boreal forest presented jointly by the Society and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association. Ten events were held across Canada, greatly expanding the Society’s outreach to members and the wider public.
James Raffan also served on the Policy & Planning Committee (1998-2003) and the Board of Governors (1997-2003) with characteristic zeal. He strongly supported the evaluation of Society programs through a “value for dollar” approach. He always sought creative ways to achieve the Society’s mandate, even during difficult financial times.
A gifted writer, he has penned feature stories and book reviews for Canadian Geographic and has authored nearly a dozen books, including Fire in the Bones, the definitive biography of filmmaker and artist Bill Mason. During radio and television interviews and national book tours, James Raffan has never missed an opportunity to promote the Society and its programs and publications.
For his outstanding contribution to improving the Lectures program, his service as a Governor and his unfailing support of the Society’s mandate “to make Canada better known,” The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is honoured to award the Camsell Medal to James Raffan.
[signed] Gisèle Jacob, President
November 5, 2009
Explore: A Canadian Geographic podcast.
Host David McGuffin talks to Canada’s greatest explorers about their adventures and what inspires their spirit of discovery.
“… James Raffan, author, filmmaker, teacher, explorer and former executive director of the Canadian Canoe Museum.” David McGuffin interviews James Raffan about the far north and its peoples.
Paul Kirtley is professional bushcraft instructor and owns and runs Frontier Bushcraft, a wilderness bushcraft school, offering bushcraft courses and wilderness expeditions.
What others have said…
Dr James Raffan thoroughly engaged delegates at the Biennial conference of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia in October 2011. His topical keynote address entitled “Education as Story: The Power of Narrative”, developed the central theme of the conference, Culture 2 Culture, through providing insightful examples of how the characters of young people are developed by placing them in situations that challenge their comfortable world view. In many cases this does not occur within a traditional, formal educational setting but instead it is most successful in those environments that involve some risk and where the young people have to delve deeply into their inner resources. Dr Raffan’s extensive experiences in leading wilderness canoeing expeditions in the interior of Canada, combined with his academic intellect provided a perfect platform for Heads to contemplate the importance of using these experiences to develop the personal narrative of students’ lives whilst simultaneously contributing to the culture of a school.
What a show by Dr. James Raffan! It is clear why they call this guy a master storyteller. His show was amazing. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, don’t hesitate.
Where would you like to go next?
Find out more about James Raffan’s presentations by clicking on a category:
Adventure Talks Canoe Talks Career Talks
Educational Talks Inspirational/Motivational Talks