Executive Director Transition

September 6, 2021

This fall marks the Executive Director transition period at Project Canoe. We are incredibly thankful to Gillian Burt for nearly five years of passionate and dedicated leadership, first as Program Director and then as Executive Director at Project Canoe. We are excited to welcome Sascha Ellis as the incoming Executive Director. Read on below to hear from Gillian and Sascha.

A Letter from Gillian Burt, Outgoing Executive Director

It has been such a joy and privilege to watch Project Canoe grow and evolve over the past 4.5 years. During this time, we have expanded our program offerings, successfully pivoted to meet the needs of our youth during the challenges of COVID-19, and safely returned to our summer wilderness program in Algonquin Park this summer. Hundreds of young people have benefitted from our programs, whether in canoes or over Zoom, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team for their unwavering commitment to youth development during these difficult times.

During our end of summer staff debrief this year, our team reflected on our greatest takeaways from the summer of 2021. While I think it will take a few weeks for the full magic and impact to settle in, I keep coming back to the same knowledge that guided our decision to offer overnight programming this year: our programs are vital, and this year, more than ever. After a year and a half of isolation, uncertainty, and change, our youth needed this space to learn, grow, connect, and be celebrated for the remarkable humans they are. This was confirmed through our evaluations, the laughter on the bus rides home, the gratitude from youth and guardians, and all of the wonderful stories that emerged from their time in the woods - our team can’t wait to share some of those with you.

Project Canoe's future has never looked brighter. We have recently launched Local Explorers, a year-round program that supports Black and Indigenous youth in cultivating strong relationships with nature, themselves, and each other. We have some more program offerings and structural shifts in the works, and are well positioned to take on this new period of growth and impact with confidence. I could not think of a better person to lead the organization through these new developments than Sascha. 

Sascha has been a friend of Project Canoe for a few years now, so is very familiar with our programs, community, and philosophies for working with youth. He comes to PC having spent the past several years with 360 Kids, and is an incredibly thoughtful and values-driven leader. I’m sure you will soon come to agree that he is the perfect leader to guide the PC Community through this exciting new chapter. 

Thank you to everyone that played a role in Project Canoe over the past few years - our phenomenal staff, volunteers, funders, and partners. Most importantly, thank you to all of our incredible youth who have brought so much creativity, compassion, and bravery to our programs - it has been a privilege to be a part of your story. I hope you will all stick around for this exciting new chapter.

Gillian Burt, Executive Director, Project Canoe 2019-2021

A NOTE from Sascha Ellis, INCOMING Executive Director

What an exciting time! Just a handful of years ago, I had the pleasure of training the Project Canoe team in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI). Getting to hear about their passion for providing youth opportunities to grow and develop new skills in the outdoors was inspiring. I knew I wanted to get involved with the Project Canoe community. Fast forward to today where I’m so excited and honoured to lead the team in continuing to create impactful experiences for youth.

I am so thankful to Gillian for her leadership during these last few (unpredictable) years. Her commitment to and love for Project Canoe is evident in all aspects of our programs.  As we move forward, we will continue to grow and have a wider-spread impact to those who need our services while staying true to our core belief that all youth should have access to the outdoors and it’s ability assist in the personal development.

A strong community is integral to any organization and I’m already blown away by the strength and commitment of ours. I’d like to thank everyone in the Project Canoe community who has already provided me with a warm welcome. To those of you I haven’t met yet, I look forward to connecting over the coming months.  Please reach out any time if you have any questions, thoughts or just want to check-in. I’d love to hear from you.

Sascha Ellis, Executive Director, Project Canoe

416.778.4311 | sascha@canoe.org