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ABOUT MYLÈNE...
Mylène Coulombe-Gratton is an outdoor guide, educator, and founder of Follow Her North, a Northern Ontario–based adventure company rooted in land, leadership, and self-discovery.
Raised in a family where the outdoors was not a hobby but a way of life, Mylène’s relationship with the land began before she could walk. From being breastfed while her father drove the boat, to napping curled up in moose antlers at camp, to following her dad and his friends on weekend snowmobile rides, the North shaped her early sense of belonging. If her parents were going outside, the girls were coming too — learning, observing, and discovering along the way.
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That upbringing turned into a lifelong passion for movement, exploration, and self-reliance on the land.
Through every season, Mylène finds her rhythm outdoors. Winters are spent primarily on her snowmobile, often choosing off-trail routes and remote terrain over marked trails. She finds joy in the quiet rituals of ice fishing — lighting the wood stove, drilling holes, breathing crisp air, and cooking fresh fish over an open fire. Snowshoeing through the forest remains one of her favourite ways to reset and reconnect.
Spring brings high water and long days on northern rivers, navigating her freighter canoe into places only accessible for a short window each year. Summers are spent on and in the water — canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, and exploring new backcountry campsites. In the fall, hunting draws her deeper into remote areas, often by freighter canoe or ATV, sleeping in a prospector’s tent and returning home exhausted, muddy, and fulfilled.
EXPERIENCE & CERTIFICATIONS
From a young age, Mylène actively pursued education and certifications to support her dream of becoming an outdoor guide. She completed her first babysitting course at 11, followed by her hunting and snowmobiling licenses at 12. She went on to earn lifesaving certifications including Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, CPR, and Aquatic Safety Instructor.
Her professional path accelerated through the River Roots Program, a 42-day intensive guide training and leadership development course that became a defining chapter in her life. There, she earned her Wilderness First Responder, Whitewater Rescue Technician, Canoe Tripping Level 2, Paddle Skills Canada, Leave No Trace, and multiple field leadership certifications. She later added Ice Safety and Rescue, Winter Camping Training, Wilderness Survival Instructor certification, and Sylvotherapy (forest therapy) certification. She is also a Paddle Canada Instructor for Intro to Moving Water.
In 2021, Mylène founded Follow Her North, initially focused on adventure tourism. Over the past five years, the business evolved into something deeper and more community-driven. She has since:
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Led over 30 snowmobile expeditions to James Bay
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Guided more than 75 days of canoe trips
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Delivered over 15 school and classroom outdoor education activities
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Developed River of Life, a land-based educational and awareness project
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Worked and led over 15 land-based experiences with Indigenous youth
Her leadership has been recognized through multiple awards, including:
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NOBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
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New Business of the Year, Northern Corridor Chamber of Commerce
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Two-time Women in Snowmobiling Award, OFSC District 15
She has also served as President of her local snowmobile club, contributing to trail development, safety, and community engagement. She also sits on other committees.
Mission & Values
Now entering its fifth year, Follow Her North is grounded in a renewed mission: helping people find their North — through self-awareness, land connection, skill-building, and meaningful challenge. This evolution led to the creation of the Find Your North Fund, a community support initiative focused on bursaries, outdoor education access, land-based healing projects, reconciliation-driven partnerships, and free adventure opportunities for those facing barriers.
Fluently bilingual, Mylène is a proud Franco-Ontarian who works comfortably in both French and English. Often perceived as older than her years, she carries a depth shaped by lived experience, responsibility, and time spent learning directly from the land.
At her core, Mylène is a guide — not just through terrain, but through transition. She believes the North is more than a direction. It is a process of listening, grounding, and becoming.
If the opportunity arises to join one of her adventures, it is not simply a trip — it is an experience that leaves people changed, connected, and oriented toward something deeper.