John Hall spent the winter thinking about the creek that runs through his backyard and how one day he would take it to work.

He moved to Sudbury a little over a year ago from southern Ontario to work with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

Hall lives in the south end and has Lilly Creek following through his backyard. It winds its way through brush and marshes and under several major streets before reaching Ramsey Lake, which is overlooked by the Willet Green Miller Centre, where Hall works.

It takes him about an hour to paddle to work and one time he even picked up a co-worker along the way for a "canoepool."

Crossing Ramsey Lake, Hall says it is easy to forget he's starting the work day.

"It feels like Saturday afternoon in Killarney," the 30-year-old says. "I actually felt fairly energized all day long the last time I did this, which, I thought the opposite, maybe I'll be distracted or tired, but no, I felt good."

Hall normally bikes to work, even through the Sudbury winter, so his co-workers are used to him showing up in outdoor attire, but he says he got many questions about the canoe commute.

"To actually understand that it's from the backyard to the front door of where I work, you really need to look at a map to be able to appreciate it. But everyone says it's a very northern Ontario thing to be able to do."