Team Origin Story

Team Origin Story

This is the backstory about how Canon Collaborative team Mar’ce & Christine joined their strengths in collaboration.

We built a friendship after a chance breakout session together during an online program. There was instant connection through our love of learning, respect for our teacher, and a felt connection to the natural world. Mar'ce shared from her direct experience with listening deeply to the natural world. Christine shared her love of the Constructal Law and the connection to individual strengths; when our strengths are optimized, we are in a state of flow. Embodied spirit and science started to vibe together. 

One year later, we would find ourselves on unexpected adventures in the wilderness of Alberta — sensing but not yet realizing the powerful collaboration we were forming. Mar’ce invited Christine to canoe camp with her people on the Milk River. In the final stages of packing, Christine decided to toss in her trekking pack. She then drove 1,600+ miles from Oklahoma to Canada to arrive at our first rendezvous point. Mar’ce, Tom and Athena arrived soon after. Familiar-feeling hugs were exchanged before a walk around the lake. They also brought news that the flow of water from Milk River was diverted: no canoes or adventurers would move on that river in the near future. What were we to do?

Mar’ce determined that we could still camp in our designated sites along the river. There was a special walking tour available and the weather was supposed to be great with a small chance of rain.

The reality of rain turned out to be not so small. After the first night, we awoke to a flooded campsite. Christine had water inside her tent, and now, the forecast called for enough rain to deter us from staying. So, we decided to head all together back toward Calgary, where we would find nurturing shelter at Mar’ce’s family cottage. With several flopped outdoor adventures in the family, we had a full house!

Mar’ce embraced the flow of her matriarchal power and created space for all of us to be happy and comfortable amidst some disappointment. It was while listening to Mar’ce explore new possibilities with her family, that Christine remembered she brought her trekking pack. Mar’ce confirmed trekking was a viable pivot as Kananaskis had available permits! Voila, the wilderness was now waiting for us. We established base camp at the cottage, gathering all we would need: safety, shelter, and energy needs (food/water/fuel) and more (battery pack for charging, soothing face cream, art supplies). Within a couple of days, we were ready. We adjusted our packs for weight and comfort. We shared our anxieties, our desire to be in a place of deep relationship with the natural world. Though Mar’ce has spent many nights outside in a tent, each hike/each canoe journey, comes with risk, with careful preparation, and with trust– the unknown elements support us when our intention is to connect.

It’s an hour’s drive to the trailhead, a half-hour of making sure we have all we brought. We begin. As we walk, we take photos of small happenings and amazing vistas, stop at streams to collect water and soak our feet. The forest and the sun bathes us in shadows and light. Our relationships expand to fungi, mushroom, mountain chickadee, raven, woodpecker, moose, pine, aspen, spruce, fern, crocus, mountain orchid, trickles of water, creeks, and the fast moving upper Kananaskis River, and a much beloved porcupine!

We followed the flow of life. We held the intention to celebrate our friendship, our love of nature.  We met an abundance of healing moments that would catalyze our symbiotic connection. We listened, we meditated, we laughed, we created, we felt all our feelings, we moved our bodies, stretched our bodies and celebrated how we were so gently and confidently held in this special, special part of the world. We vowed to return. In the Forks Backcountry of Kananskis, we learned so much about what it could mean to discover greater flow in community: connected in strength, purpose, and possibility.

We invite you to join our experiments and excursions on a future Wonder Trek.