| Yesterday I had a chance to meet Bruce
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| | concept of sustainability and established
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| Poon Tip, owner and CEO of G.A.P
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| | travel practices that show consideration
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| Adventures, one of Canada's most
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| | of natural surroundings and local
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| successful travel entrepreneurs. You may
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| | cultures. By limiting the travel group
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| wonder, what is he like? Bruce is the
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| | size to 12 people, by taking local
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| owner of Canada's largest adventure
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| | transportation and staying in small,
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| travel company, an attractive man of
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| | locally owned hotels and guesthouses,
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| about 37 years of age, dressed in casual
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| | G.A.P travellers are able to minimize
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| attire and not afraid to speak off the
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| | their footprint in foreign communities
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| cuff. Certainly a charismatic personality
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| | and get maximum exposure to local
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| who was able to captivate last night's
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| | culture.Planeterra is a non-profit
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| capacity crowd at the G.A.P. concept
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| | organization founded by G.A.P to give
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| store in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood.In
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| | back. Today Planeterra raises funds for a
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| 1990 Bruce went on an organized
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| | number of community projects,
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| backpacking trip to Thailand where he had
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| | international charities and an endowment
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| a chance to explore the people and the
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| | fund to ensure long-term support of
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| country on $10.00 a day. This experience
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| | community development and conservation
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| gave him the idea to create G.A.P
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| | projects for years to come. Some of the
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| Adventures, today Canada's largest
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| | community projects that G.A.P sponsors
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| adventure travel company that now sells
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| | through donations include a community
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| thousands of different trips and annually
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| | school in Ecuador, a foundation in
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| sends 40,000 passengers on their own
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| | Honduras to help women start their own
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| small-group adventures. G.A.P has about
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| | businesses, an NGO in Costa Rica for
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| 300 employees today, headquartered in
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| | environmental and wildlife conservation
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| Toronto, with operational offices in
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| | projects, a local battery recycling
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| various countries of Latin America. It's
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| | project in Chile, a drop-in center for
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| most recent endeavours are the G.A.P
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| | street children in Cuczo, Peru, and many
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| concept stores which have recently been
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| | more. G.A.P Adventures itself also
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| opened in high-traffic areas in Toronto
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| | initiated a Women's Weaving Project in
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| and Vancouver, places where travellers
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| | Peru that taught local women ancient
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| can research their adventure trip, get
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| | weaving techniques as well as natural
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| more information about their desired
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| | fabric dye processes. Today all G.A.P
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| destination and book their
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| | travel groups visiting the Sacred Valley
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| once-in-a-lifetime experience supported
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| | in Peru have a chance to see and purchase
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| by good advice with no sales pressure.For
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| | high quality textiles produced by these
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| his entrepreneurial savvy Bruce has won
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| | weavers, all sold at fair trade prices.As
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| numerous awards, besides receiving an
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| | another example of the innovativeness of
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| award as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40,
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| | his company, Bruce shared with us the
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| Bruce has been also been honoured as one
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| | story of how he went out to purchase the
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| of Canada's top 5 entrepreneurs by
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| | "Explorer", the world's first
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| Canadian Business as well as Canada's 100
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| | purpose-built expedition cruise ship. In
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| leaders of tomorrow. Profit Magazine
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| | March of 2004 Bruce went on an expedition
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| named him in their 20th anniversary issue
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| | cruise through the Antarctic and fell in
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| cover story as one of Canada's Top 10
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| | love with the experience. He figured he
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| Entrepreneurs of the last 20 years. Bruce
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| | need to buy his own expedition cruise
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| also received the Global Traders
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| | ship and started looking for suitable
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| Leadership award from the government for
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| | vessels. In April of 2004 he found the
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| his ground breaking ideas in exporting
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| | "Explorer", a historic expedition ship
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| services.Recently Bruce was asked by the
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| | with a capacity of 112 passengers and a
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| World Bank and UNESCO to represent a team
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| | crew of 60 people. The ship had been
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| to visit the Peoples Republic Of China to
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| | docked in Genoa, Italy, for many months
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| lecture on Sustainable Development. In
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| | due to the financial problems of its
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| January of 2002 Bruce was the only
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| | owners. Just another 2 months later, but
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| Canadian operator invited to speak at the
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| | after many complications, G.A.P took
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| United Nations Launch of the Year Of Eco
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| | possession of the ship. Only another 4
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| Tourism in New York. Bruce defied the
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| | months later, after extensive
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| odds once again last year by winning
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| | restorations, the Explorer went on its
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| Canada's prestigious Entrepreneur of the
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| | inaugural journey and today offers
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| Year, as well as the National Citation
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| | expedition cruises to such unique places
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| for Entrepreneurship.G.A.P's additional
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| | as Antarctica, the Amazon, Spitzbergen,
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| awards include having two trips chosen
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| | and Greenland. (Incidentally, G.A.P. has
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| among the TOP 25 Adventures in the World
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| | agreed to sponsor our first Travel Story
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| by National Geographic Adventure
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| | Contest and the grand prize winner of our
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| magazine, the Ethics in Action Award, the
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| | contest will win an exciting adventure
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| Global Traders Award and the Clean Air
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| | cruise on the Amazon in the Explorer -
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| Commute Award for five straight
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| | all thanks to G.A.P. Adventures.)G.A.P's
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| years.Although a consummate business man,
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| | innovative business ideas don't end here.
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| Bruce Poon Tip has a conscience and he
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| | G.A.
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| has founded his entire entreprise on the
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