Our Company
Est. 2016
Inspiring your mountain adventures.
With each and every trip down the river, we strive to become the highlight of your stay in the Canadian Rockies. We enjoy small group, scenic float tours, that give you the very best opportunity to view wildlife, take stunning vacation photos and soak in the peaceful beauty of the mountains.
Our guiding team boasts some of the most experienced, knowledgable and interesting group of people you will meet on your stay in Canmore.
Join us as our guest, as we share with you our passion for the mountains.
Our Team
Dino Mariani
Owner & Operations Manager
Born and raised an Alberta Boy, Dino has always had a passion for the Rockies. As a young boy, his brothers would take him on their ‘adventures’, instilling in him a respect and love for all things wild! With each trip, he would venture deeper into the back-country, looking for untouched forrest and pristine rivers.
This led to a degree from the University of Calgary, in Kinesology/Outdoor Pursuits. Dino would learn from some of the top instructors and mountain guides in the world, expanding his knowledge and launching his own adventure company. Now after more than 2 decades of guiding, teaching and encouraging people to find something unknown, underfoot and inside themselves, Dino has taken the oars of Canmore River Adventures.
Guiding on and in water has been a large part of the journey. He has spent more than 23 years as a rafting guide, examiner, instructor and river manager on some of the most challenging and intense rivers in Canada. Dino is also an advanced instructor in wilderness first aid & survival, cave rescue technician, professional scuba instructor and an outdoor education instructor, so you can sit back and just enjoy the amazing sights!
Caitlin Deacon
General Manager & Interpretative River Guide
Caitlin is an Aussie river guide who’s back for round two of pretending she knows exactly what she’s doing, while secretly hoping the river doesn’t suddenly turn into white water rapids. Last year, Caitlin mastered the art of floating gracefully and occasionally paddling in the right direction (mostly)!
This year, she’s back with even more sunscreen, a bag of snacks that would make a bear jealous, and a newly developed skill of pretending not to notice when someone falls off her raft. “That wasn’t me, I swear.” When she’s not helping you float down like a majestic potato on the water, Caitlin is training for triathlons, which is just a fancy way of saying she likes to swim, bike, and run like a caffeinated kangaroo, trying to convince her muscles its a good idea.
If you want a guide who will keep you alive and entertained, with a side of weird Australian slang and questionable dad jokes, Caitlin is your person!
Ben Cross
Interpretive River Guide
Originally from England, Ben spent nearly two years in New Zealand conquering every trail he could find (and getting delightfully lost on a few). Along the way, he picked up more friends, stories, and probably a few questionable decisions than he can count—most of which he’ll happily share with you on the river. Now, Ben has set up camp in Canmore to keep the adventure rolling, bringing his well-traveled spirit to the river and the mountains. If you’re not finding him guiding you down the river with a grin on his face, you’ll probably catch him in his hiking boots, scrambling up one of the countless peaks around. He’s got a knack for finding the best views—and even better, he knows how to get you there without getting too lost along the way (well, most of the time).
Whether it’s rafting, hiking, or just laughing about what he almost fell into, Ben brings a mix of experience, humor, and a love for the outdoors that makes every adventure feel like a story worth telling. Just don’t ask him to explain his route; he’ll likely say, “I’m just floating,” and honestly, that’s probably good enough.
Cailyn Cattoni
Interpretive River Guide & Social Media Content Creator
Meet Cailyn, a certified veterinary technician assistant and a lover of the outdoors! Born and raised in Calgary, Cailyn attended Olds College to further her studies and embrace her passion of helping animals. After working at a dog daycare for over a year, she decided it was time for some fresh air and was enthusiastic to join the Canmore River Adventures team!
In her spare time she enjoys reading, travelling, dancing, surfing, and she recently became an open water scuba diver! To give back to the community, she dedicates her free hours to volunteering at the Regal Cat Cafe in downtown Calgary. Speaking of cats, Cailyn is a proud pet owner of a black cat, named Curie, and her two labradors, Honey and Benson. Her simple pleasures include geeking out over Star Wars, devouring ice cream sandwiches, and listening to her favourite music artist, Sabrina Carpenter. She is ready for a peaceful, relaxing time on the river this summer (so please try not to fall in!)
Cailyn is excited to be a tour guide and continue to create content for CRA’s social media accounts! She can’t wait to meet you on the river! :)
Evie Dunster
Interpretive River Guide
Meet Evie! Originally from Birmingham UK, Evie has been calling Canada home for the past year and a half. After spending the winter snowboarding in Whistler, she’s back in Canmore for her second summer season—and couldn’t be happier about it. Once you’ve seen these mountains, it’s pretty much impossible to stay away! Evie’s in her happy place on the river—sunshine, splashes, and a boat full of good vibes.
Whether you’re here to chill or chase a little adventure, she’ll keep things fun and full of laughs. She can’t wait to show you the best mountain views in Canmore and share all her fun facts—but watch out, she’s been known to push a few friends in when no one’s looking. Evie’s excited to share her love for the Bow Valley, the river, and all the adventures that come with it. When she’s not guiding, you’ll likely find her hiking up something steep, attempting to stay on a mountain bike or enjoying a cheeky bevy in the sun!
Ellie Greenly
Interpretive River Guide
Straight outta the wop wops of New Zealand, Ellie swapped the surfboard for a snowboard back in 2023 and has been living her best ski bum life ever since. After three winters in a row, she’s ready to defrost, kick back, and finally say goodbye to the goggle tan. She’s stoked for her first summer rafting on the Bow River and can’t wait to explore more of the valley while sharing her love of the water with you.
When she’s not paddling through the Rockies, you’ll find her climbing every peak she can, cruising the pump track, playing board games with friends, or kicking back in her hammock with a good book. Nothing beats being out on the water every day—even if those glacial temps take some getting used to! Whether she’s soaking up the Mountain View or swapping adventure stories over a cheeky beer (or two), Ellie is happiest when she’s outside, meeting new people, and exploring everything the Bow Valley has to offer. She’s also done the tough research on the area’s best breweries and happy hours—strictly for science, of course.
Meg Petherick
Interpretive River Guide
Meet Meg—born and raised in the stunning land of New Zealand (yes, a real country, and no, not a state within Australia). She qualified as a paramedic in 2019 and shortly after moved to England, where she spent five years saving lives, delivering babies, and applying plasters with alarming authority. When she wasn’t in the back of an ambulance, Meg could usually be found somewhere in Europe, cocktail in one hand, gelato in the other, soaking up sunshine like a solar-powered lizard.
This past winter, she swapped sirens for snow and worked at Sunshine Village. Now, she’s making her grand debut as a river raft guide here at Canmore River Adventures—which means most days are spent dodging rocks, confidently misidentifying local wildlife, and sharing fun facts she may or may not have pulled from Wikipedia the night before. Off the river, Meg enjoys hiking, swimming, and becoming overly competitive during card games.
She looks forward to showing you the beauty of Canmore—and if you’re lucky, she might even let you paddle while she sits back and “supervises.” ;)
Max
Interpretive River Guide
Coming soon....Max!
Simone
Interpretive River Guide
Coming soon...Simone!
Frankie Mariani
Interpretive River Pup
Born and raised an Alberta Girl, she loves belly rubs, treats, and floating down the river. Certified as an Emotional Support Animal, Frankie has visited hospitals, care-homes, hospice, and the court house for victims of homicide.
Fierce, loyal, sweet, gentle and loving!
Francesca has the most river trips next to her dad. She always finds a way to make our guests smile and feel loved!