Canoeing, 'Ontario Tiger Venturer', Canada, Ontario, Jul 2009, ID 782

Pates Grammar School CCF

31 Cadets and 4 Staff from Pate’s Grammar School CCF, with assistance from 2 ACF instructors and a freelance instructor, took part in an exciting wilderness canoeing experience in Ontario, Canada. The expedition was split into 2 parties with the second travelling three days behind the first and carrying out the same program. Each party was further divided into two groups for instruction, command and control.

The expedition took place in 9 phases -

1. Travel Out
2. Initial Training
3. Crotch Lake Circuit
4. RNR Kingston
5. Madawaska River Trip
6. RNR Ottawa
7. Algonquin Trip
8. RNR Niagara
9. Travel Home

The Expedition:

From the outset all of the participants were very excited. The excitement and enthusiasm for this trip was not dampened despite the unseasonable weather in Ontario, which only partly affected our plans.

The two parties rolled through Desert Lake, North Frontenac and engaged with the training program very well, eager to pick up the skills they needed for the two expedition phases. Despite some home sickness and missing loved ones back home, the teams gelled very quickly. Sunny days were interrupted by heavy downpours and much of camp life took place under tarps. Groups learnt to cook on open fires, a skill that is little practiced in the UK. Much fun was had lighting these fires with birch-bark and fire-steel.

John Albinson, former Professor from Queen’s U (Kingston, Ontario), joined one of the teams on the Crotch Lake circuit. John’s experience and campfire talk gave the team a real insight into canoe-life in Canada. Windy conditions on the larger Lakes threatened to upset some of the teams plans, but determination and flexibility carried everyone through.

The Mawaska River, despite taking up only two days, proved to be the highlight of the trip. A late spring and a particularly wet July meant that the river was very high. Some of the rapids were washed out as a result, while others were un-run-able by all but a few.

Kinston, Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara all provided RnR opportunities for the groups. The highlights were many but the street performers in Ottawa and the Blue Jays game stand out (especially the commentary from our waiter in the Hard Rock Café who gave us a commentary whilst we dined in stadium side seats!)

For me the success of the expedition was measured by the cadets themselves, who as they neared the take-out point after 5 days of paddling in Algonquin park asked if they could turn around and do it again.

Summary and Conclusions:

Having run a similar but smaller expedition in 2007, this one was even more successful. The young people were a pleasure to work with and all our stresses were small and short lived. The instructional team worked well and the arrangements were nearly ideal and require only a small tweak for future expeditions.

For those of us who were there, the benefits of running this type of expedition were obvious, but have become even more plain on return to the UK and with our continued work with these young people. The confidence, team work and spirit that developed throughout our time in Canada is even more apparent now. This Contingent and Pate’s Grammar School is a much better place for the involvement of our expedition participants as they carry their experience and new found ability into every day life. To that end I am keen that we continue to deliver this expedition in the future and encourage cadets aged 16 – 17 to attend so that they still have time with us.

Lt. Col. N J Woodall, PGS CCF

Thanks to

working in partnership with