Heliconia, the video production company behind the Telly-Award winning digital series Paddle Tales, is set to resume filming July 5th, after a 4-month long break due to COVID-19. With international filming postponed, Beachburg-based Heliconia is excited to turn the lens on its home province and showcase what makes Ontario a world-class adventure travel destination.
Funded in part by Bell Fund and Ontario Creates, Paddle Tales is a digital series that follows Ottawa native, Ken Whiting, as he explores the world by canoe, kayak and stand up paddleboard, all the while sharing the stories of the unique people, cultures, and places he experiences along the way. In addition to being host, Whiting is also a world champion whitewater kayaker, as well as the founder, and President, of Heliconia.
Heliconia has filmed in over 90 destinations internationally and has had the privilege of sharing some of the world’s most incredible adventure travel stories. Prior to COVID-19, Heliconia had production plans in place to film in Norway, Peru, Arizona, Northwest Territories, and Puerto Rico, to name a few. “Paddle Tales is an exciting project with great traction after the first season.” reflects Whiting. “We discussed postponing filming until 2021 but decided to use this opportunity to shine a light on the incredible adventure travel opportunities that can be found within our home province of Ontario.”
Once the provincial government allowed production and filming to restart in the province, Heliconia began setting up an Ontario-based filming schedule for the second season of Paddle Tales. A total of eight episodes will be filmed throughout the month of July. Destinations featured will include Bon Echo, the Thousand Islands, the Madawaska River, the Ottawa River, Killarney Provincial Park, Big Creek and Long Point in Norfolk County, and Algonquin Provincial Park. The episodes will highlight some of the incredible water-based adventures that Ontario has to offer, fuel wanderlust in viewers, and hopefully help the recovery efforts of the Ontario tourism industry.
The first two episodes of Paddle Tales, Season 2 were filmed in September 2019. Featuring a river-cruise with Le Boat, and a family paddling adventure along the Rideau Canal, the premiere episode is set to release July 7th on the PaddleTV YouTube channel. For more information on the Paddle Tales series, visit www.paddle-tales.com.
ABOUT HELICONIA: Heliconia is an Ontario-based video production company that creates adventure travel content featuring stories from destinations around the world. The award-winning company produces seven unique media projects, including: Paddle Tales, Epic Trails, Epic Trails: Mountain Biking, Adventure Cities, Peak Experience, Chad Hoover Fishing and The Kayak Fishing Show. For more information about Heliconia, please visit www.heliconia.ca.
