Maple Leaf Adventures

11/07/2026

"Twenty-five years ago, my car wound through the early November dark, down to the tiny port of Genoa Bay under the shadow of Mt Tzouhalem. Down the damp dock I walked, to the schooner Maple Leaf tied out where there was depth for the bigger ships.

It was Kevin’s first few months of owning Maple Leaf Adventures. The 2001 season was put to bed. 9/11 had happened 2 months before, devastating the tourism industry he’d just sunk his life savings into. There was a lot of dark, a lot of emptiness, that winter at the foot of Mt Tzouhalem.

Kevin greeted me at the rail with a relieved smile, but a wrinkle on his forehead: he’d been trying to rebuild something with many parts in the engine room and could not figure it out. I kissed him and said to come forward to the galley and we’d make dinner and drink some w**e and let his subconscious work on it overnight.

The next morning, I woke to him climbing back into the aft cabin where our bunk was. His smile carried a light in it: he’d got up early, rebuilt the part in the engine room.

I mention this now, because as we close out Maple Leaf Adventures 40th anniversary season, and Kevin’s 25th, I’ve been reflecting on what’s different. Obviously, a lot is. But the biggest difference I think is the community that Maple Leaf Adventures is now.

Again, it’s November, and the season end. Yet it’s not one guy down in the engine room in the dark, trying to figure out the systems. Maple Leaf sailed back into the Inner Harbour beside the two “sisters” we’ve given her, Swell and Cascadia. More than 50 crew are arriving as I write, for our year-end celebration. It’s one of the most wonderful things in my life to see that.

So although the days darken more quickly now, there is laughter in the air and on the deck. There are people to brainstorm with.

I like to think of that channel every winter as the dark closes in. It’s the future, I think. We’ll be there, cruising with bows pointed north, days lengthening, in not so much more time. Thank you for bringing the light of your spirit to this community. I wish you all the best for this winter."

— Maureen Gordon, Co-owner of Maple Leaf Adventures, reflecting on 40 years of adventure, community, and the people who make it all possible

📸 Kelly Marsh

11/07/2026

A night among explorers, astronauts, scientists and storytellers. ✨🌎

On Wednesday, Maple Leaf Adventures co-owner Maureen Gordon joined the Canadian Geographic community in Ottawa for Geographica 2026: Journey to the Stars — an extraordinary evening celebrating Canada’s legacy of exploration, from the depths of our oceans to the far side of the moon.

The evening paid tribute to the late Marc Garneau, Canada’s first astronaut, and brought together generations of Canadian explorers — including Jeremy Hansen, who shared reflections from his historic Artemis II journey around the moon earlier this year.

And closer to home, it was wonderful for Maureen to reconnect with Canadian Geographic Ambassador Scott Forsyth, who joined us aboard Swell in Alaska this season. 💙

We’re incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with Canadian Geographic and grateful for the people, ideas and spirit of exploration it continues to bring into the Maple Leaf community.

Thank you to Canadian Geographic and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for an inspiring evening. ✨

📷Photography taken by Maureen Gordon

Scott Forsyth RCGS • SGRC Canadian Geographic Travel

10/27/2026

From Our Community ✨

For years, Tania Tomaszewska has explored how what’s in the glass can tell a story of place — of landscape, people, culture and connection.

Now, together with her longtime friend and business partner Val, she’s brought something entirely new to life: SIDEBAR® — a premium, West Coast-inspired mocktail, launching with Secret Cove Lime.

For us, there’s a particularly lovely full-circle connection.

Tania has been part of the Maple Leaf community for many years. In 2019, she worked with Maureen and Kevin to help shape our Wines & Islands journey, and has since joined guests aboard Cascadia as sommelier, sharing the w**es, people and distinctive coastal terroirs of British Columbia.

As Cascadia sets out from Sidney this afternoon on this season’s Wines & Islands voyage, Secret Cove Lime will make its Maple Leaf debut aboard the very journey Tania helped bring to life.

From BC vineyards and island communities to a new West Coast creation of her own, we love seeing this next chapter unfold.

Congratulations, Tania and Val — here’s to SIDEBAR® and everything still to come. 🥂🌿

Follow SideBar®️ - West Coast Inspired Mocktails and Tania Tomaszewska to discover more.

📸Photography by: Kevin Smith Jeff Reynolds Alina Andrushko Kevin Clark Studios

10/16/2026

Food has always been one of the ways we tell the story of this coast. ✨

We’re incredibly proud to share that Maple Leaf Adventures has been named a finalist in the 2026 Canadian Tourism Awards — Culinary Tourism and Agritourism Experience Award.

For us, a meal is never simply a meal. It can begin with something discovered growing wild along the shore, a conversation with a BC w**emaker or producer, or a traditional salmon bake shared with Indigenous friends and hosts. Then, aboard our ships, our chefs bring those places, people and stories to the table through thoughtfully sourced ingredients and meals inspired by the coast we travel through.

This national recognition feels especially meaningful following our 2025 TIABC Culinary & Agritourism Experience Award — and it belongs to so many people: our chefs, naturalists and expedition teams, the growers, makers and producers we work with, and the communities who generously share their knowledge, traditions and stories with us.

Thank you to Tourism Industry Association of Canada and Culinary Tourism Alliance for the recognition, and congratulations to our fellow finalists.

Winners will be announced November 18 in Fredericton. Until then, we’re simply very proud — and very grateful. ❤️

Remarkable journeys. Engaging people. Wild spaces. And some unforgettable meals along the way.

📸Photography by: Greg Shea Alina Andrushko Jeff Reynolds Dan Batchelor Simon Ager Ethan Browne and other Maple Leaf Adventures crew.

10/08/2026

Spring on the BC coast isn’t something to wait out. It’s something to sail into. 🌿

After the darker days of winter, there’s something irresistible about watching the wild come alive again.

Waterfalls are running full. Forests glow an almost impossible green. Wildflowers begin to appear. Wildlife is on the move, and spring is a remarkable time for bear viewing along the coast. Snow still traces the mountaintops while sheltered waterways can be glassy and calm.

And then there’s everything that happens in between — exploring by tender, hiking through rainforest, slipping into a kayak, sharing a drink on deck, lingering over a meal, and swapping stories with the people who have quickly become part of the adventure.

Every image here was captured during our 2026 spring season. Across the fleet. Across the coast. And yes — it really can look like this.

Spring arrives earlier here than many people imagine, and it has a character all its own: fresh, vibrant, uncrowded and wonderfully alive.

🌱 Thinking about spring 2027? Book one of our select Spring Getaway voyages by December 31, 2026 and receive a $500 flight credit per person toward your fare.

Visit our bio to explore our Spring Adventures and offer details.

Come out of winter with us. 💚



📷Photography by: Matt Whelan Simon Ager Greg Shea Tristan Ray-Wilks Ethan Browne Jeff Reynolds and other Maple Leaf Adventures crew. Wildlife was photographed from a respectful distance using telephoto lenses; some images have been cropped.

10/06/2026

Small ships. Big Stories. 💕

We're delighted to see Swell featured in this thoughtful piece from Food, Drink, Life exploring why travellers are increasingly drawn to small ships with history, character and a deeper connection to place.

Thank you for including us -- and for sharing a little of Swell's remarkable story. 🌊 ⚓

Small ship cruises are drawing travelers who want history over water parks, from a 1912 tugboat in Canada to dahabeyas on the Nile.

09/25/2026

For World Tourism Day, we’ve been thinking back to TED@DestinationCanada and the many ideas shared about what the future of travel could look like.

Three years later, those conversations feel more relevant than ever.

How can tourism leave places stronger than we found them? How can we spread its benefits across communities and seasons? And how do we make sure that, as the world changes, travel remains rooted in people, place and nature?

These are big questions, and there’s no single answer. But this stage was a reminder of the breadth of people and ideas working to move tourism forward in Canada.

As we look toward the next chapter, we’re proud to be part of that conversation—and of the role small-ship expedition travel can play in supporting conservation, coastal economies and meaningful connections with the places we visit.

09/15/2026

Due to popular demand, a second Artist-in-Residence voyage has been added.

Following strong interest in the original July 1–9, 2027 departure, filmmaker Dianne Whelan will now join a second small-group expedition to Haida Gwaii aboard the Maple Leaf, departing June 23–July 1, 2027.

Both voyages explore the protected waters of Gwaii Haanas with just eight guests aboard, with Dianne joining as Artist-in-Residence — sharing reflections from her journey behind 500 Days in the Wild along the way.

One guest space currently remains on the July 1–9 voyage.

For those inspired by the film, it’s another opportunity to continue the journey — this time by sea.

👉 Explore the 500 Days in the Wild | Artist-in-Residence voyages via the link in our bio.

📸 Photography by: Dianne Whelan - photographer 500 Days in The Wild - film Kevin Smith Grace Gladstone Mary Morris Tristan Ray-Wilks Simon Ager Greg Shea and other Maple Leaf Adventures crew.

09/11/2026

The spirit bear and her little shadow 🐾

Our first fall trip off the dock, guests aboard Maple Leaf spent the afternoon with Strawberry, a known spirit bear, and her black cub of the year as they fished and fed along a salmon river in the Great Bear Rainforest.
Spirit bears are black bears—their white coats are the result of a recessive genetic trait. So while Strawberry is creamy white, her cub is black. Captain Kevin Smith described the little one following close behind her as looking almost like “a tiny little version of herself… like a shadow.”

And staying close to mom mattered. Earlier that morning, the forest had echoed with the howls of a nearby wolf pack. For hours, guests watched Strawberry fish, feed and keep a watchful eye on her cub—a remarkable glimpse into family life in one of earth’s wildest places.

📷 Marcus Atkins ( #1-4, #6) Kevin Smith ( #5)

07/10/2026

Nine guests. Five crew. One incredible coastline.

A vintage glimpse into the early days of Maple Leaf Adventures, and the spirit that still guides us forty years on.