Alumni Spotlight: Kielyn Marrone

November 14, 2025 - Nestled among the La Cloche Mountains west of Sudbury, Kielyn Marrone and her husband, Dave, have spent the past 16 years guiding snowshoe expeditions through the northern wilderness. Their company, Lure of the North, offers participants a deep-winter experience inspired by traditional travel — complete with hand-made moccasins, woven snowshoes, and nights spent in heated canvas tents beneath the northern sky.

The business was born from Marrone’s studies in Laurentian University’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership program. “We met at Laurentian,” she recalls. “There wasn’t much work for outdoor guides in the winter, so we decided to create our own. We started making all our own gear — the traditional way — and guiding people into the backcountry. Sixteen years later, we’re still at it.”

Her inspiring story has caught the attention of the SOAR Outdoor Adventure Film Festival,  which takes place between November 13-16, where she’s been invited to share her story, experience, and expertise.

“It’s an honour,” she says. “Our business started with people telling us it couldn’t be done — that long wilderness expeditions wouldn’t sell. But we believed in it.”

For Marrone, what keeps her returning year after year isn’t just the scenery — it’s the people.

“You’re spending eight days, sometimes three weeks, together in a really harsh environment,” she says. “You have to come together as a unit, and people often find a kind of inner strength they didn’t know they had. We’ve had guests come back years later to tell us they changed their lives or careers because of their experience.”

That connection has created a loyal community of adventurers who return winter after winter — proof, Marrone says, that there’s real value in challenging yourself outdoors. “It’s something many people don’t get in their everyday lives anymore.”

Home for the Marrone’s is as unique as their business. They live off the grid on Crown land near Espanola, surrounded by forest with their nearest neighbour 10 kilometres away. The choice wasn’t always easy.

“We lived in a tent for three years at first,” she laughs. “As our business grew, every bit of income went back into the property.”

Today, their once-remote site boasts a solar array, wood-burning furnace, and a rough road they built after a decade of boat-only access.

“It’s comfortable now — it feels more like a modern home than the rustic tent we started in. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Originally from Bradford, Ontario, Marrone’s path to Laurentian University wasn’t direct. She began studying kinesiology at Western University with plans to become a physiotherapist. But the large-classroom environment left her feeling lost.

“I realized I wanted something different — smaller classes, hands-on learning, and to be outdoors,” she says. “When I found the Outdoor Adventure Leadership program at Laurentian, it felt like it was made for me.”

The program’s mix of leadership training, risk management, and experiential learning became the foundation for her career. “It opened my eyes to what was possible,” she explains. “It gave me the confidence and the practical skills to turn a passion for the outdoors into a livelihood.”

Her favourite memories include multi-day canoe trips, rock-climbing excursions, and the strong sense of community that defined the program. “Our professors knew us by name. They even came to our social events. It felt like a family — something I don’t think you get at bigger universities.”

Now an alumna, Marrone’s advice to students is simple: be open and make the most of every opportunity.

“Absorb as much as you can. Use the mentors around you, get up early, get after it. These experiences will shape you for the rest of your life — don’t squander them.”

That belief paid off. Today, Lure of the North runs week-long to month-long expeditions, including a 73-day, sold-out journey across Ontario from Lake Superior to James Bay.

“My message is simple,” she says. “If you have a dream that people say can’t be done, take it one step at a time. You’ll find your people. You’ll make it happen.”