MEET THE TEAM

A new addition to our Team in 2022…TIFFANY MOUNTENAY!

I was born and raised in Kingston and continue to live, work, and play in this area. As a young girl, I dreamed of becoming either a teacher, a hair stylist, or a flight attendant. After many years of forcing my three younger siblings to be my students at the school I set up in the basement of our home, I chose the teacher option. I attended Trent University in Peterborough, taking courses in the Trent-Queen’s concurrent teacher education program.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree, I started a teaching career with the former Lennox and Addington County Board of Education. After 11 years of teaching students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and working with students with special education needs, I moved into the role of Vice Principal at Westdale Park Public School in Napanee. For the past 16 years, I’ve been a principal at a variety of elementary schools in the Limestone District School Board; Loughborough P.S., Odessa P.S., Southview P.S and Amherstview P.S. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the students, staff, and families in each community and will take so many wonderful memories with me into retirement!

I married my husband Mike, the boy next door, almost 30 years ago, we enjoy spending time with family and friends, spoiling their 10 nieces and nephews, and being active outdoors. Recently we purchased e-bikes and have logged many kilometres on trails throughout Ontario and Quebec!

Although I didn’t become a hair stylist, I did have lots of opportunity to cut my brothers’ hair when they were in cadets and somehow became Mike’s personal stylist when barber shops were closed during the pandemic.

I love to travel and my friends often call her “Julie”, in reference to the cruise director on the hit TV show The Love Boat, as I am usually the person that arranges all of the details for group trips. Over the years, I have travelled to the east and west coasts of Canada, various places in the Caribbean (my favourite being Grand Cayman), several places in Europe on both river and ocean cruises, and California to visit family. Mike and myself also completed a long-stay in Portugal where we were able to live like locals and explore many wonderful spots in different parts of the country.

In the summer of 2022, I started working as a Tour Director with Maple Leaf Tours. I have had the great pleasure of accompanying tour groups to a variety of places including the theatre in Toronto and Ottawa, New York City, Agawa Canyon, Manitoulin Island, and Toronto Blue Jays games. My goal is to ensure that everyone on a tour has a memorable experience, AND… I get to practice my flight attendant skills as I interact with guests along the way – another childhood dream fulfilled!

I’ve met so many wonderful people on each tour and look forward to many more exciting adventures with Maple Leaf!

“The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, and the memories we’ve made along the way.” ~ Anonymous

Growing up on a small family farm in the Ottawa Valley gave me plenty of opportunity to dream about travelling and seeing the world. Whether I was driving the tractor or working in the fields, my imagination would run wild with exotic and fascinating destinations. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I had my first experience to travel with a student tour group to Italy. Exploring the amazing sites in Rome, Sorento, Florence and Naples made me realize that there were many great adventures awaiting for me in the future. High school also gave me the opportunity to tour beautiful Nova Scotia on a Senior Band tour.

After high school, I attended Carleton University where I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Geography and from Carleton, I moved on to Queen’s University where I completed my Bachelor of Education degree. I would be several years later that I would take the plunge and achieve a Master’s in Education.

I began my teacher career with the former Frontenac County Board of Education working with students with special needs. After a few years, I taught mainly junior grades in the elementary system. After 15 years in the classroom, I moved into the role of administration and was the Principal of Holsgrove, Collins Bay, Frontenac, and Odessa Public Schools. For the last 6 years of my career, I worked as the Supervising Principal of Human Resources for the Limestone District School Board.

Travel has always been an important part of my life with trips to England, the United States, Mexico and most of the Caribbean. Immediately after retirement I set out on a three-week tour of the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria and France. It was an amazing experience meeting so many wonderful people and seeing numerous historical and beautiful sites. One of the many that was etched in my mind is standing in front of the Vimy Memorial on a bright and sunny October morning. It was a mixture of emotions from pride to sadness to how fortunate we are as Canadians.

It has been approximately 8 years now since I began my new career as a Tour Director with Maple Leaf Tours. Over that time, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people and visiting so many interesting places. In the Fall of 2022, I was fortunate to lead the Maple Leaf Tour on the Rocky Mountaineer. Every moment of this tour was a Wow! Riding up the gondola in Banff and standing at the top of Sulphur Mountain can only showcase how small and insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. I always say to clients that while there are so many wonderful places in the world, we only need to look in our own back door. Canada has so much to offer with majestic sites and rich history. It is yours to discover.

I always enjoy seeing familiar faces on the tours which I lead. My goal on each tour is to ensure that each person comes away with memories that will last a life time.

If you’re looking for a beautiful, fun and cultural tour for your next
adventure, there is no better destination than the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan. Located along the coast of Lake Michigan, Holland has a rich history and heritage to share with its visitors. The festival began in 1929 to beautify the City with tulips. Today we celebrate our Dutch heritage with three parades, Dutch Dancers, national and regional entertainment, dinner shows, a Dutch market, fireworks, and the stars of the show: millions of tulips!

Call Maple Leaf Tours for your no obligation quote today!