Potential Limitations to Participation

Before getting further into the application, we want to share a list of potential limitations to being able to participate in an overnight Project Canoe program. Our summer canoe trips operate in remote wilderness areas, therefore there are some levels of support that we can not adequately provide in order to maintain a safe environment for everyone on the trip.

We recognise that every individual and circumstance may differ and thus we make decisions situation by situation. In order to do this, we need to know beforehand if any of the following apply to the participant so that we can initiate a conversation about whether we are able to support them. Thank you in advance for your openness and honesty.

We must know if the participant:

  1. Is pregnant, diabetic, and/or has any chronic, recurring, and/or life threatening medical condition which may require hospitalisation and/or may make it unsafe for them to be on a trip, and/or is taking a medication that cannot be safely managed on a trip and/or is not able to be administered by the participant;

  2. Has a severe allergy to food, insect stings, and/or other allergens to the extent that a doctor has prescribed epinephrine (epi-pen) for treatment if they are exposed, and/or has, within the past year, been hospitalised for asthma and/or an allergic reaction;

  3. Is epileptic and/or has had a seizure within the past year, and/or has changed seizure treatment medications within the past year;

  4. Has a court-assigned custody agreement or legal probationary agreement that does not allow change of residence and is unable to obtain a court approved exemption to participate in a trip;

  5. Would experience withdrawal symptoms if unable to consume alcohol, cannabis, and/or other substances, and/or is currently participating in a rehabilitation or treatment program that cannot be interrupted;

  6. Has a history of running away, suicide attempts, serious mental health conditions, and/or serious psychiatric illness which may make it unsafe for them to be on a trip;

    • We understand that these behaviours can sometimes be situational or a by-product of a challenging situation which is out of a youth’s control and may not be a factor in a different environment, such as on a trip.

  7. Has a history of sexually abusive and/or molesting behaviour towards any other persons, of any gender, of any age, including, but not limited to, acting in a sexually aggressive, sexually inappropriate, and/or sexually harassing manner;

  8. Has a history of violent behaviour including, but not limited to, violent behaviour involving weapons, an explosively violent temper, and/or a history of aggressive behaviour towards others including, but not limited to, those in authority.

Please share if any of the above potential limitations apply to you. This does not necessarily mean you will be unable to participate, but will allow us to open up the conversation with you to see if we are able to provide the support you would need to be successful on an overnight canoe trip. Because of the nature of our summer program, sometimes the decision is made that a wilderness canoe trip is not the best program for the participant right now. If that is the case we will always try to share alternative activities or programs that do support the applicant where they are at.