Ottawa Outdoor Film Festival

Presenting our MCs, guest speaker and discussion panelists!

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  MC - Lawrence Gunther

  Lawrence Gunther is a conservationist, outdoor writer, podcaster, blogger, film maker and TV personality. A life-long outdoor enthusiast, Lawrence has travelled extensively throughout Canada to experience and document its natural resources and diverse peoples. In 2012 Lawrence founded the charity Blue Fish Canada, and in 2013 launched the podcast “The Blue Fish Radio show”. In 2016 Lawrence created the award-winning documentary “What Lies Below”, a 79-minute exploration of ten stories of people who live by and from the water. Lawrence lives in Ottawa Canada and continues to serve as president of Blue fish Canada.

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  Opening Speaker - Albert Dumont

  Albert Dumont, “South Wind”, is a Poet, Storyteller, Speaker, and an Algonquin Traditional Teacher. He was born in traditional Algonquin Territory (Kitigan Zibi).  He has published seven books of poetry and short stories and two children’s books, written in three languages.

  Ottawa’s Poet Laureate from April 2021 to April 2023. Albert Dumont was part of the Grandparents Counsel for Well Living House. From October 2016 to February 2020 he served his community as one of 13 Elders on the Elders Advisory Committee of the Ministry of the Attorney General. He was awarded the Public Service Alliance of Canada – National Capital Region (PSAC NCR) 2010 Human Rights Recognition Award. In January 2017 he received the DreamKEEPERS Citation for Outstanding Leadership. In July 2023 he received the François Bregha Storyteller Award from The Historical Society of Ottawa. In June 2024 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education by uOttawa.

  Albert has dedicated his life to promoting Indigenous spirituality and healing and to protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples, particularly the young.

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  Panelist - Dr Rachel Buxton

  Rachel is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Department of Biology at Carleton University. She leads a team that aims to generate knowledge to support and mobilize equitable conservation solutions. Her main research interests include urban bird conservation, soundscapes, ecological restoration, and the link between human health and biodiversity. She works with groups of practitioners, decision-makers, Indigenous Peoples, and communities to ensure her research is applicable for mobilizing effective conservation solutions. In drawing from her experiences as a research scientist, mom, life-long learner, teacher, mentor, and community member, she is committed to making a difference for biodiversity conservation and environmental justice.

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  Panelist - Max Finkelstein

  Max has spent his career as a biologist, writer and planner with Canada’s National Parks and the Canadian Wildlife Service. He became professionally involved with rivers through the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, which he worked at until he retired.

  Max integrates canoes and rivers into all aspects of his life. He has published two books on his paddling adventures, received the prestigious Bill Mason Award, was named by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society as one of Canada’s Top 100 living explorers, received the Nature Inspiration Award from the Canadian Museum of Nature, and, in 2026, the Water Leader Award from Ottawa Riverkeeper.

  The canoe is the medium he works with to connect to cultures, history, nature, land, and spirituality. To past, present and future on rivers that flow through us all, and to reach out to others to appreciate through paddling the history, cultures, nature, peace of mind and spirituality that spending time on the water can give.

  But if you ask Max: “What do you do?”, he will answer “I’m a paddler, explorer, and river guy. From marathon racing to solo canoe style paddling, expedition paddling in the big and little latitudes in some of the world’s most remote places, to exploring local canoe routes, or just messing around in canoes, I follow the currents.”

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  Panelist - Émilie De Sousa

  Passionate about the environment since childhood, Émilie, who grew up in Gatineau Québec, has always had a desire to keep on learning, raising awareness, and protecting the natural world we are all part of.

  Most recently, Émilie joined CPAWS-OV’s Nature for Everyone, Everywhere! youth program and has been volunteering on several of our campaigns, bringing her passion and insight with her.

  Here to be a voice for wildlife, she is excited to be representing her generation to help others stand up for nature, and inspire change because: “every action matters, every voice has value, and every change begins with the willingness to try”