The introduction to canoe trip program for campers aged 10-12 is a great way for campers to begin to learn the foundational skills of canoe tripping in an environment tailored to campers of any skill level or expierence.

This program runs for campers of any gender, with seperate evening campsites for the boys group and the girls group.

During their time in this program, campers will:

• Learn the basics of canoeing skills including water safety, paddling, sterning a boat, portaging, and canoe-over-canoe rescues
• Learn about camping foundations including fire building, pitching tents, basic campfire cooking, and setting up camp
• Have the oppourtunity to expierence canoe trip at a pace that is geared towards beginners
• Explore the Kawartha Highlands and learn about the land, plant life, and animal life as they travel through natural wonders!

Trips in this program spend the first few days at the main camp (1010 Birchview Road) before heading out on their canoe trip. While at main camp, campers sleep in a large, canvas tent, outfitted with beds and electricity. Pick up and drop-off for this program is located at 1010 Birchview Road.

The Sr. Canoe trip program for campers aged 14 – 16  is a great way for campers with an interest in canoe tripping and wilderness exploration to expand upon and build their skills in a wilderness setting. This program is designed to meet campers where they are at – wether it’s their first time our on a canoe trip, or their 100th, our staff will tailor the expierence to the skill level of the group and individual participants.

During their time in this program, campers will:

• Learn and develop canoeing skills including water safety, paddling, sterning a boat, portaging, and canoe-over-canoe rescues
• Learn and develop skills of camping foundations including fire building, pitching tents, basic campfire cooking, and setting up camp
• Have the oppourtunity to expierence canoe trip at a pace that is moderate to advanced, and allows participants the oppourtunity to face and expierence healthy challenge
• Form close bonds with a small group of campers out on the expedition
• Explore Algonquin Park and learn about the land, plant life, and animal life as they travel through natural wonders!

Trips in this program spend the first few days at the main camp (1010 Birchview Road) before heading out on their canoe trip. While at main camp, campers sleep in a large, canvas tent, outfitted with beds and electricity. Pick up and drop-off for this program is located at 1010 Birchview Road.

Registration for the Introduction to Canoe Trip Programs opens on October 15th, 2024.

Registration for the Sr. Canoe Trip Programs opens on October 15th, 2024.

No! Our programs are designed to meet campers where they are at in terms of their skill level and expierence. Our Sr. Trips are designed to challenge campers, so campers should ideally have an interest in attending canoe trip if enrolling in that program.

Our expierenced staff will lead campers in building the foundational skills of canoe trip wether or not they have been on a canoe trip before. All our canoe trip programs involve teaching in paddling, water safety, canoe over canoe rescues, setting up camp, fire building, staying safe out on trip and more!

All campers attending a canoe trip must pass a mandatory swim test prior to departing for canoe trip, due to safety requirements. If you have questions about the swim check, or concerns about your campers swimming ability, please reach out to us and we will be happy to discuss further with you. 

Safety is a top priority throughout all stages of canoe trip – from planning, to packing, to paddling – managing the safety of the group is a top consideration in everything we do. To cover a number of bases, families can read below about how different types of safety are managed out on canoe trip. Families are alse encouraged to reach out to our Summer Camp team if they would like to read our policies in full.

Inclement Weather: In the case of severe weather (thunderstorms), groups leave the water at the first thunder heard, and remain off the water for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder heard. While sheltering from the storm, the group will set up a tarp to provide cover from the rain, and will enact lighting drill procedure if neccessary. 

Animals: Before going out on canoe trip, campers are educated about the types of wildlife that they may encounter while out on canoe trip, including black bears and moose, and the appropriate action to take for different encounters. All precautions are taken to avoid bringing the attention of animals to the camp site, and ‘Leave no Trace’ camping principals are foundational to all canoe trips. Food is hung in the food barrel high up in a tree, far away from where campers and staff make camp for the night. If a wild animal is spotted, and is on the path of the trip, the group will pause their travel until the animal has left the area. 

Injury & Illness: Prior to leaving for trip, all campers have their health screened by our healthcare team in a ‘pre-trip’ check. Our canoe trippers are trained with Wilderness Advanced First Aid or Wilderness First Responder, and are able to provide essential medical care and assessments while on trip. Any time a canoe tripper is providing medical care, they call our healthcare team to recieve directions from our onsite nurse or paramedic. If a camper is severely injured, they will be evacuated from the trip at the earliest possibility. All trips are sent out with a fully-equipped first aid kit.

Staff Training: All of our staff are certified in Standard First Aid (SFA) and canoe trippers hold a current certification in either Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Each canoe trip is also sent out with at least 2 National Lifeguard Certified Lifeguarding Staff. Before camp beings, our canoe trippers all recieve comprehensive training in a wilderness setting on all of our canoe tripping policies and protocols.

Communication: Our canoe trippers are sent out with a Satellite Phone as well as a Spot-X texting communication device, to ensure they can maintain communication with the camp throughout the whole trip. Canoe trips ‘check-in’ with the main site each evening via call or text, and provide updates to our trip director and management team. In the case of an emergency, a staff on the trip will contact our healthcare team immediately; both devices are also equipped with SOS 9-11 buttons which will alert nearby authorities. 

Naviagtion: Before the canoe trip, our canoe trippers review the route with the trip director, and discuss any challenging parts of the route. They are equipped with several maps, compasses, and the Spot-X device which has the ability to send and recieve longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates. With spesific sites booked each night, the trip checks in with our main site once they arrive to site. If there is any concern about navigation, the group will stop, call the main camp, and recive directions from there. The group always travels all together.

Water Safety: Water safety is essential to any successful canoe trip. Campers and staff must always wear a PFD while in the boat. Each boat comes equipped with a Water Safety Kit, and an extra lifejacket and paddle are brought with each canoe trip. Before leaving the main camp, the group practices a ‘Canoe Over Canoe Rescue’ so that they know what to do if their canoe ever flips over. While swimming on trip, campers are guared by two lifeguards, and must wear a lifejacket and their wet shoes. All campers must pass a swim check before boing out on canoe trip.

Any further questions? Contact our Summer Camp Director at emma@campkawartha.ca

You can find all the essential information on our  Canoe Trip Packing List For Campers . Our canoe tripping department provides all the essentials (Tents, packs, canoes, paddles, equiptment, lifejackets), but campers will need to bring their own sleeping bag, clothing, dry sac, and whistle.

If you have concerns about our packing list, or are unable to supply your camper with any of the items on the packing list due to financial reasons, please reach out to us and we will be happy to help work with you to ensure your camper has all the equiptment they will need to attend their trip.

Our routes vary year-to-year, and are subject to the availability of the Ontario Parks. With booking for the Ontario Parks beginning in February, our routes for the canoe trips are generally finalized by late spring. We are typically able to share the expected route with families once the trip route has been finalized.

Our two Introduction to Canoe Trip sessions are designed to be easier routes, with approximately 10km of travel each day, and several short to moderate length portages throughout the route. 

Our Sr. Canoe Trip programs are slightly longer routes throughout Algonquin Park, with around 12-18km of travel each day. On this trip, campers can expect several portages a day, with two to three longer portages (approx. 1 – 2.5km) spaced out throughout the duration of the trip. 

Occasionally, we do make last-minute adjustments to canoe trip routes when deemed neccessary for the safety and wellbeing of the camper group. This can include shortening a trip to avoid severe weather, or simplifying a route to meet the skill level of the group of participants on the canoe trip. 

Our canoe trips have two main requirements for campers to be able to attend: a health clearing by our Healthcare Staff, and a pass on our swim check. 

Before each canoe trip, our healthcare staff meet with each camper to review their healthcare needs and ensure that they are in good health before heading out on trip. If our Healthcare Team has concerns about a campers health, and their ability to safely attend trip, their family will be contacted. 

At the start of camp, every camper must complete a swim check to demonstrate their swimming ability. This is essential for ensuring camper safety while out on canoe trip, and a ‘pass’ on the swim check remains at the discretion of our waterfront director. If a camper does not pass the swim check, alternate arrangements can be made an their family will be contacted. 

All our drop-off and pick-ups are at 1010 Birchview Road, Douro-Dummer, Ontario. This is our main site location, and for the purpose of canoe tripping programs, serves as a ‘Base Camp’. Campers will stay here for the first two nights of their stay at camp, while they pack and prepare for their expedition.