In a series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces key persons of influence in the city to the community.
Who is Joel Kowalski?
Joel Kowalski is the president of the Wilderness Tours Rafting Resort on the Ottawa River and a former professional kayaker who won a bronze medal at the Whitewater Grand Prix in 2013.
What is his background?
Kowalski was born in the Whitewater Region of Renfrew County about an hour west of Ottawa. He grew up next to the current location of his company Wilderness Tours and started kayaking when he was a teenager. By 18, he was competing professionally. That continued for a decade. By 2010, he was the vice-president of Wilderness Tours. Four months ago, he was named president of the company. Although kayaking is his passion (he still competes occasionally), he also enjoys skiing, snowboarding and surfing, he told Capital Current.
What is he known for in Ottawa?
Wilderness Tours has moved into town recently opening a seasonal café at Westboro Beach on June 1. A canoe tour, a “lazy river” water ride and equipment rentals also begin there. Wilderness Tours also runs a rafting tour in the city called Ottawa City Rafting, for which Kowalski is a trip leader.
“We take a combined somewhere around 160,000 to 170,000 people out on river tours every year. So we’re one of the biggest, if not the biggest, whitewater river tour companies in the world,” Kowalski said. The company recently celebrated its 50th year and has locations in Montreal, Niagara Falls along with Ottawa and the original site in Renfrew County.
What do people say about him?
In recognition for his efforts on behalf of the community and his company, Kowalski has been named as one of the Ottawa Business Journal’s Forty under 40 for 2025.
What’s a little known fact about him?
During Kowalski’s time in high school, when he had gym as his last class of the day, his teacher would let him and his friends leave school early to get a headstart on kayaking. He also appeared on a kayaking show in collaboration with RedBull called First Descent: Michoacán in 2017, which he described as “exploring whitewater rivers in Mexico, kayaking over waterfalls and having a good time.”
