Dear Friends of Project Canoe,
We’re excited to tell you what’s ahead for Project Canoe (PC) this coming summer. Read on to learn how PC is shaping up!
Continuing to Transform Young People
We have a new basecamp, our summer staff are completing their training and youth intake is in full swing. We're looking forward transforming the lives of youth this summer! As always, PC’s program model gives young people the opportunity to transform their relationship to their environment, to explore new ways of engaging with their peers and, most importantly, to identify their own potential.
This summer we’ll be providing 120 youth with 428 individual days of creative and natural outdoor experiences.
Our New Home in Toronto
As you may already know, 2014 saw Project Canoe move away from our Temagami basecamp of over two decades. In the years since, we have continued to offer summer canoe trips in Algonquin Park, in partnership with the Algonquin Basecamp Outfitters, and have also provided urban outdoor experiences in our year-round program.
For the first time, Toronto Campus Co-Operative is providing us subsidized housing that will act as our city basecamp throughout this summer. The house, located in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto, will provide everything we need in a basecamp — gear storage, kitchen space, and a home for our staff. The new location also enhances our staff training by giving us access to the expertise of our partnering agencies such as The Child Development Institute and CPI.
The Toronto setting allows us to provide urban recreation experiences throughout the summer, in addition to our regular wilderness tripping program and regular year-round program. These urban experiences include paddling the Humber River, kayaking around Toronto Island, nature hikes at Brickworks, and many more. This basecamp location will enable our amazing summer staff to work with youth facing a greater variety of needs and barriers than ever before.
Thank You!
We are incredibly grateful to have you as a part of the PC community. Thank you for sticking with us through this transitional period. We hope you keep in touch by signing up for our newsletter below. If you’re interested in coming on trip this summer, click here to find out how.
Special thanks go to all the foundations and corporations that made this possible, including The Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund, the Kiwanis Club of Toronto, The Echo Foundation, TD Securities, and Keen Effect, as well as many others. Be sure to check out our list of supporters (link) that have come together to make this happen.
The upcoming summer will be filled with beautiful paddles, fireside chats, and unforgettable memories. We truly cannot wait to share the stories with you.
See you on the water !
Yours Sincerely,
Tim Richardson
Executive Director
On behalf of everyone at Project Canoe
P.S. Update your address book! We have moved back into the Centre for Social Innovation! Mail can now reach us at:
Project Canoe
720 Bathurst Street
Toronto, ON
M5S 2R4