A New Era of
Driftwood Paddle
Home › Our Story
Chris and Kieran Kelly grew up on Kawawaymog Lake — practically every summer of their lives. In November 2018, after years of guiding for other companies, they stopped waiting and built something of their own.
CK or Ella will get back to you within 48hrs
2018
Year founded
200+
5 Star Reviews on Google
The Kelly brothers didn't discover Algonquin Park — they grew up there. Summers on Kawawaymog Lake, portages before breakfast, learning to read the weather off the water. For Chris and Kieran, the park was never a destination. It was just home.
For years they guided separately, leading trips for other companies — but always with the same feeling that they could do it differently. Their own way, with their own values: integrity, adventure, connection, and community. They wanted to take people to places they'd never been before, to be the locals who gave others that feeling of seeing somewhere through the eyes of someone who truly belongs there.
It was their friends who finally pushed them. Stop guiding part-time for other people's businesses and take the leap — start your own family company, root yourselves in Canada, and call Algonquin your full-time home. In November 2018, they did exactly that.
Where it started
Background
The name came from watching what happens to people on a good backcountry trip. Day one, everyone paddles hard — fighting the current, trying to control the experience. By day three, something shifts. They've learned to read the water, trust the guide, and let the lake set the pace. Like driftwood. Once you stop fighting, the park carries you exactly where you need to go.
That shift — from control to presence, from noise to clarity — is what every Driftwood trip is designed around. The routes, the pacing, the campsite choices, the silence before dinner, the conversations that happen only around a fire in the dark. All of it intentional, even when it feels effortless.
What "Driftwood" means
About
Some guests have been coming back for nine consecutive years. They arrive as strangers and leave as people who call in a crisis. That's not marketing — that's what happens when you take people somewhere that strips away everything that doesn't matter.
Driftwood runs trips from 3 to 14+ days, from beginner-friendly family paddles to backcountry expeditions that will test even experienced wilderness travellers. Every trip is custom, every group is matched to a guide whose skills and personality fit the group's vibe and intentions. The gear is top-of-the-line — Swift Kevlar canoes, full safety systems, food that consistently surprises people who didn't know you could eat that well in the backcountry.
Nine years and counting
We do what we love
The people in the canoe next to you.
Meet the guides
Chris Kelly
Born and raised on Kawawaymog Lake, Chris has spent nearly every summer of his life in Algonquin. He co-founded Driftwood in 2018 after years of guiding for other companies. He's the one who designs your route, leads most group expeditions, and knows exactly when to push and when to let the lake do the talking.
Co-founder · Lead guide
Ella Lukasik
Ivey Business School graduate. Solo traveller. Women's group facilitator in Nelson, BC. Ella has paddled Algonquin since she was little and leads the Wild Woman expeditions — including the yoga and breathwork sessions that guests consistently call a highlight. Her belief: the wilderness shows you who you are when you stop performing.
Guide · Wild Woman lead
Matt
[ Matt’s bio to be added — photo and description coming. ]
Guide
Brett
[ Brett’s bio to be added — photo and description coming. ]
Guide
GuideJack Bunce
[ Jack's bio to be added — photo and description coming. ]
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) — all guides
National Lifeguard (NL) certified
Paddle Canada certified instructors
Parks Canada permitted operators
Swift Kevlar canoes — top-of-the-line gear
Based at Access Point 1, Kawawaymog Lake
Founded 2018 · 10+ years on the water
We’ve got you covered
Certifications & credentials
What group guests say
★★★★★
"I have toured Algonquin park via the Kelly brothers for 9 years and cannot recommend them enough. My first trip was a younger me searching for meaning. Chris mapped out a personalized 5-day trip. I was forever changed."
– Greg F.
Long-term guest · 9-year repeat
We focus on the transformation, not the destination.
What's included
What we really offer is space — space to unplug, slow down, and feel alive again. By guiding you into the wilderness, we guide you back to yourself.
The canoe trip is just the beginning
Without screens, conversations deepen, laughter comes easier, relationships grow stronger. You remember who you are without the noise.
Around the fire, something shifts
Every guide is WFR certified and a National Lifeguard. Every trip carries a satellite communicator and a fully stocked first aid kit. Adventure without recklessness.
Your safety is always first
What people say
The trip changes people. Every time.
★★★★★
"Chris is one of the most kindhearted, knowledgeable guides I've ever encountered. The trip exceeded every expectation — and I've done a lot of paddling."
James M.Algonquin Crucible, 2024
★★★★★
"I came out of the bush with a new outlook on life. The bonds I've formed are stronger than anything I've ever known. CK and the folks at Driftwood have a special gift."
Chris E.Spring Awakening, 2025
★★★★★
"This is a transformational, spiritual, life-changing rebirth and reconnection to life itself."
Majeed M.Women’s Trip, 2023
We donate backcountry trips to marginalized youth in Ontario. No matter your story, everyone deserves an equal opportunity to experience nature — and the transformation that comes with it.
Together we thrive.
Giving back
Book a call
Come paddle with us.
15 minutes on a call with Chris. He'll answer every question, walk you through the trips, and help you choose the right one. No commitment needed.
No commitment. Just a conversation.