Ric Driediger (left) and Martin Bernardin. (Facebook/Churchill River Canoe Outfitters)

By Derek Cornet

business

New ownership for Churchill River Canoe Outfitters

Jan 4, 2024 | 5:00 PM

After 35 years of owning Churchill River Canoe Outfitters (CRCO), Ric Driediger has handed over the paddles to someone he hopes can take the business further than he can at this point in his life.

“I will be 70 in a month,” he said. “I notice I don’t have the energy I used to have and the ideas and all that are still there, but I just don’t have the drive and the energy to carry out those ideas and dreams and that kind of thing anymore.”

Driediger started guiding along the Churchill River in 1973 and he launched a company called Wilderness Trails in 1976. During that time, he worked mostly with church groups and operated between 25 and 35 trips every year.

It was in the fall of 1987 when Driediger purchased CRCO, which was founded in 1959 and went by a different name until the mid-1960s. His first summer operating CRCO was in 1988.

“I watched the company grow considerably from the time that I bought it,” he said.

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“When I bought it, there were three cabins. Now, there are eight cabins, plus a hostel that has four cabins, plus a wilderness lodge. When I bought it, there were 12 canoes and there’s a little more than 60 canoes there now.”

During those early days, Driediger explained his staff spent most of their time playing cards, but business increased so much during his ownership that two people now need to be around at all times just to keep up. Between 6,000 to 7,000 canoers go through CRCO for its services annually.

One of the largest aspects that Driediger will value during his time at the company is the relationships he’s built with his staff and clients. He estimates 200 people were employed by him during the last 35 years.

“So many of those relationships are really strong and good,” Driediger said. “Some of my best friends are also my clients, and it’s those relationships that stand out.”

Driediger formally handed over CRCO on Nov. 30, 2023, but he still owns the property and he will be required to keep the facilities in good condition. He sold CRCO to Martin Bernardin, who owns the Kisseynew Canoe Company and Montreal River Outpost in Air Ronge.

Bernardin said he will be keeping Driediger on the payroll.

“He will be up there advising us because he is such a wealth of knowledge,” he added.

“It would be hard to start off without having him around. He loves talking to people and this way it gives him the opportunity to still chat with people and do all the stuff he loves to do, and not have to worry about the logistics of running a business like that.”

Bernardin believes CRCO is a good fit with the other companies he currently operates, noting he already has experience with shuttles, renting canoes, and other related tasks in the field.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com