SUMMER PROGRAM FAQ

What do I need to bring?

We provide you with most of the major items needed for the trip including: tents, sleeping bags, canoes, paddles, life jackets, etc. We can also provide rain gear if needed. For the full packing list, click here. If you are missing anything on this list, please let us know and we will do our best to provide you with what you need.

How do I get there?

On the first day of the trip, we will meet you at a predetermined spot in the city, accessible by the highway and TTC. The staff on your trip will make sure you have everything you need for your trip and you will be able to leave any extra things at our basecamp in Algonquin Park.

How long is the drive to Algonquin Park?

The drive to Algonquin Park is about 2 and a half hours.

How long are we out on the canoe ?

We paddle for about 6 hours a day. Everyone wears a life jacket, and we play games, check out the scenery, stop to explore places, etc.

What kind of food will we eat?

We have breakfast in camp in the morning and if you get hungry later , we will have snacks during the day, and make a stop somewhere for lunch. We will work together to cook dinner, and clean up. We eat a variety of yummy foods such as pizza, curry, pasta, oatmeal, and sandwiches. We bring food that doesn’t need to be kept in a fridge, since we don’t haul a fridge around with us!

What is portage?

The French, the first Europeans to explore by canoe in North America, gave us a word for carrying a canoe: portage. We will have about one or two portages a day. When we get to the end of a lake, we have to unload the canoes, and carry all our packs and canoes over a trail that takes us to another lake. We load everything up into the canoe again, and keep paddling until we get to the next campsite.

What if it rains?

Some days it will be rainy, but we all will have raincoats and pants, so that we stay dry, because we still paddle in the rain! We won’t paddle if there is thunder and lightning or if the waves are too big.

What do we do at the campsite?

Once we get to the campsite, we unload the canoes, and set up our tents. There is plenty of time to play games, swim, hike and hang out with each other. We make sure to respect the spaces we camp in, so we take out all our garbage and anybody else’s garbage we might find.

How will I go to the bathroom?

We bring something called a “poo kit” which has toilet paper, a trowel (a mini shovel) and hand sanitizer in it. At some campsites, we dig a small hole to do our business. At other sites, there is a “thunder box” or “kybo” which we use to go to the bathroom.

What are the staff like?

Our staff have been training for four weeks by the time we run our first trip. They all have lots of experience leading canoe trips and working with youth - they are lots of fun, great listeners, and enjoy hanging out with youth in the great outdoors! Your program staff will meet you and ride the bus with you up to Algonquin Park.

How do I apply ?

The enrollment process for each of our programs is described within that programs specific page on this site. Please see the Enrollment for Summer Programs Page for more details

What will Project Canoe be doing to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 on trips?

Project Canoe continues to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 on our trips through the prevention practices that Public Health Ontario suggests including hand washing, disinfecting, sleeping in solo tents, and physical distancing when needed .

What will it be like to sleep in a solo tent?

Each youth will have their own tent to allow for distance while sleeping. Tents will be set up in close enough proximity to still allow for talking and communicating while inside them. You can check out what they look like here. Staff will spend time teaching all youth how to set them up and support them in this change.