Educational Workshops

Protecting the three sisters: Dumoine, Coulonge, and Noire Rivers; presentation by Friends of Dumoine and CPAWS Ottawa Valley.

This WCA interactive zoom session will feature a joint presentation by John McDonnell (Executive Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Ottawa Valley Chapter), and Wally Schaber (Head Volunteer, Friends of Rivière du Moine) giving an overview of the Three Rivers project led by CPAWS, to create a large environmentally protected area in the watersheds of the Dumoine, Coulonge, and Black rivers (adjacent to the Ottawa River in west-central Quebec), and continuing efforts to extend protected status to adjacent watersheds, as well as specific measures to support wilderness recreation on the Dumoine.

Over the last decade Friends of Dumoine has mobilized efforts to support sustainable wilderness recreation on the Dumoine River, including the installation of campsite thunder boxes, portage maintenance (including boardwalks at the busy Grande Chute portage), refurbishment of the Tote Road recreational trail from the mouth to Grande Chute, and the conversion of an old cabin at Grande Chute to a visitor centre and trail museum. Current plans are to convert a property at the south end to a trailhead gateway and information centre.

CPAWS Ottawa Valley led efforts starting in 2008 to protect the Dumoine River and part of its watershed, with full protection of 1,776 km2 granted in 2022. Protection means there will be no logging, mining or hydro-electric development, but recreational activities will continue to be permitted. Protection for another 850 km2 of the Noire and Coulonge watersheds was added in 2023, accompanied by ongoing activities that support regional biodiversity. Current efforts are also focused on extending protected status to as much as 5,000 km2 of lands including iconic rivers like the Kipawa, the Fildegrande and the Poussiere (an under-appreciated tributary of the Dumoine).

Tune in to learn more about these exciting opportunities and how you can help FOD and CPAWS-OV protect these special places for current and future generations.

The Basics
Event Location: 
Webinar -- Zoom link provided below. See event directions
Date(s) & Time: 
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 19:30
Registration Cut Off: 
25 February 2025
Event Duration: 
90 minutes
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
WCA members and friends;
Maximum Group Size: 
Unlimited
Minimum Group Size: 
No minimum
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

The webinar will involve joint presentation followed by time for questions and discussion.

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

Topic: Friends of Dumoine/CPAWS WCA Webinar
Time: Feb 25, 2025 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88604445646

Meeting ID: 886 0444 5646

Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Tom Connell
Phone: 
XXX-XXXX

Canadian Wilderness Medical Training - Closed.

This will be the third year in a row that the WCA has offered this workshop in the urban area of Toronto. Again we are kindly being hosted in the Mountain Equipment Company's Community Room. We will have an instructor from the CWMT Wilderness First Aid training group. This 16-hour course concentrates on the basics of packaging and transporting patients and managing life and limb threats in remote environments. It includes prevention and treatment of common environmental problems like hypothermia and heat exhaustion and stroke. The Wilderness First Aid programs are designed for the recreational outdoor enthusiast, club leader, and the professional guide. These courses are based on the principals of wilderness care and first aid. ** The WCA highly recommends that people organizing back country canoe trips take this course -- especially on multi-day trips where 911 help isn't accessible. Also, it doesn't hurt to have multiple people trained on any trip.

The CWMT is giving us a especially reduced rate of only $226 (tax in) for this course.

The Basics
Event Location: 
MEC, 784 Sheppard Avenue East, North York, Ontario. M2K1C3
Date(s) & Time: 
Saturday, March 22, 2025 - 10:00
Registration Cut Off: 
March 15, 2025, or when course is full.
Event Duration: 
2 days, March 22 and 23, 10 to 6 pm each day, 2025
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
WCA members and their friends
Maximum Group Size: 
14 people
Minimum Group Size: 
10
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

Arrive when the store opens, proceed to the 'Community Room'. We will have a short lunch break mid day.

It is advised that you BRING a lunch, however there are a few places nearby to buy a quick bit of food.
There is also a Starbucks nearby.

This is a 2 day course, Saturday and Sunday.

Required Items to Bring: 

Come dressed comfortably enough to kneel on the floor to perform First Aid scenarios.

Recommended Items to Bring: 

A sunny disposition.

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

Event Directions: The Mountain Equipment Company Store,
784 Sheppard Avenue East
North York, Ontario
M2K 1C3
** This location can be accessed by the Bessarian Subway Stop on the Sheppard Line of the TTC

Carpool Info: 

N/A

Other
Cancellation Policy: 
Cancellation Policy: Refunds only if more than 12 people sign up (a waiting list)
Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
iori miller
Phone: 
Use organizers email address for contact please

Paddling and Protecting Wabakimi: Wilderness Adventure and Boreal Caribou Conservation

The Wabakimi Area, a vast and virtually roadless wilderness nearly three and a half times the size of Algonquin Park (almost 26,000 square kilometers), is located three hours north of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Accessible by over 6,000 kilometers of historically and culturally significant canoe routes, it offers a unique opportunity to explore a pristine, remote landscape. Vern will share what makes paddling in Wabakimi such a special experience and explain how the Friends of Wabakimi are working to protect the area’s wilderness values. This summer, the Friends of Wabakimi will undertake the second year of the Wabakimi Boreal Caribou Citizen Monitoring Project, a unique initiative that combines canoe tripping with citizen science to support the conservation of the threatened boreal caribou. Kate Prince, project manager, will provide background on caribou in Wabakimi, explain the importance of this project, and show you how you can get involved as a paddler—either by joining a survey trip or sharing your own observations from personal canoe trips. Join us to learn how FOW is contributing to the conservation of Wabakimi’s boreal caribou—and how paddlers can help while experiencing one of Ontario’s most remote and beautiful wilderness areas! Vern Fish, currently the president of the Friends of Wabakimi, is the former Executive Director of the Black Hawk County Conservation Board in Waterloo, Iowa. He serves on the board of directors of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Board. An advocate for clean water, he serves as an elected commissioner on the Black Hawk Soil & Water Conservation District. As a passionate paddler, he has run wild rivers from the Mexican border to Hudson Bay and north to the Arctic Circle. Kate Prince is the Project Manager of the Wabakimi Boreal Caribou Citizen Monitoring Project, combining her passion for environmental stewardship, community involvement, and paddling in wild places. Having spent her adult life as a wood canvas canoe builder and her entire life as a canoe tripper, Kate has explored wildernesses from Labrador to Northern Ontario to Canada’s far north each summer, "field testing" her handcrafted canoes.

The Basics
Event Location: 
Zoom Call (link provided below)
Date(s) & Time: 
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 - 19:00
Registration Cut Off: 
4 Feb 2024
Event Duration: 
Approximately 90 minutes
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
WCA members and guests
Maximum Group Size: 
Not applicable
Minimum Group Size: 
Not applicable
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

There will be presentation as well as Q&A and discussion.

Required Items to Bring: 

Join the call ready to learn about the Friends of Wabakimi, the Woodland Caribou Survey Project, and the beautiful Wabakimi area.

https://www.wabakimi.org/

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

Paddling and Protecting Wabakimi: Wilderness Adventure and Boreal Caribou Conservation

Feb 4, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID 822 3700 8806

Invite Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82237008806

Carpool Info: 

Not applicable

Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Tom Connell
Phone: 
N/A

Wilderness Survival and First Aid Course (CANCELLED DUE TO LOW ENROLLMENT)

Wilderness Survival and First Aid Course This 2-day course on wilderness survival and remote wilderness injury management will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to access risk and manage stressful situations effectively. We will be reviewing the basics of outdoor skills & preparation before segueing into frameworks of wilderness survival & crisis response behavior in remote wilderness settings. Our instructor, Peter Desmet, has decades of experience in wilderness exploration and survival skills education. This course is designed for people traversing into the wilderness, whether on foot or watercraft. Saturday is a full day of theory held indoors at the Minden Community Centre. Sunday is the hands-on portion held at Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park in Minden Ontario.

The Basics
Event Location: 
Minden Community Centre (PAYMENT SCHEDULE, ENROLLED MEMBERS CONTACT LUIGI SALERNO PLEASE)
Date(s) & Time: 
Saturday, November 9, 2024 - 09:00
Registration Cut Off: 
1 week before course start date
Event Duration: 
2 days
Difficulty Rating: 
Intermediate
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
Members only
Maximum Group Size: 
15
Minimum Group Size: 
5
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

Saturday (Theory portion)

8 hours of theoretical learning indoors:

· Intro & teaching methodology 5 pillars of outdoor skill & preparation Risk assessment & proactive mindset Framework of wilderness survival & crisis response behavior Basics of remote environment first aid & injury management Equipment selection & considerations Case studies

Sunday (Practical portion)

8 hours of practical outdoor learning

· Survival kit demo Setting up a PFD as an emergency kit for canoeing Setting up a chest rig as emergency kit for hiking Improvisation skills with limited resources.

Pocket gear selection & hands on use Wildlife encounter management & protection campsite selection, Fire, First aid, tarp shelter, edge tool, water, etc. demo's

Sunday’s practical (portion will be held rain or shine)

Participants are required to bring their own daypack with lunch, snacks and any personal items, raingear, water, fix blade knife, magnesium rod, notebook and pen/pencil. Items will be further discussed on Saturday during the theory day, held indoors at the Minden community center.

Cost: $199/person INCLUDES HST

Any WCA member interested in participating in this highly anticipated course will need to enroll via the WCA website first and then pay Peter Desmet directly before being able to participate in the course.

About our Instructor Peter Desmet

Peter grew up in Belgium and moved to Canada in 2011, where he became a Park Warden, working in the interior of Algonquin Provincial Park. He worked as a hunting guide and a team leader. He then started operating his own outdoor education school.

Having a keen interest in outdoor adventure from a young age, he attended numerous courses and programs both in Europe and Canada, allowing him to safely hike, climb, canoe and undertake four season adventures into wild places. His hunger for knowledge led him to become a certified Survival Instructor, First Aid Instructor, and Wilderness Skills Educator. Peter is a life-long learner and enthusiastically shares his know-how in courses, articles and youth programs. He will forever be a student of nature.

Special Guest Presenter Dr. Anthony Galea:

Dr. Galea will be attending the program and offering a special presentation on wilderness medical intervention. An outdoor enthusiast, Dr. Galea is a sports medicine specialist with over 40 years experience as a physician. Among his many accomplishments he has been an Olympic team physician and lead team doctor for the Toronto Argonauts.

Required Items to Bring: 

Participants are required to bring their own daypack with lunch, snacks and any personal items, raingear, water, fix blade knife, magnesium rod, notebook and pen/pencil.

Items will be further discussed on Saturday during the theory day, held indoors at the Minden community center.

Recommended Items to Bring: 

Food, snacks, water, rain gear, note pads, Outdoor equipment, etc.

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

Minden Community Center:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Minden+Community+Centre/@44.9277938,-78.7295905,13.5z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x4cd50e898ff84905:0x865ba570f681cb47!8m2!3d44.9328859!4d-78.7239173!16s%2Fg%2F11b5wl6lqk?entry=ttu

Carpool Info: 

Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from Minden.

Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Luigi Salerno and Doug Ashton
Phone: 
(647) 669-6904

Securing the Future of River Access in Palmer Rapids

For generations, The Lower Madawaska River has been a learning ground for paddlers to hone their moving water skills or experience a whitewater river trip for the first time. Since 1997 Paddler Co-op has been building a stronger paddling community by training and bringing together paddlers of all ages and abilities at Palmer Rapids as a not-for-profit cooperative. Paddler Co-op is spearheading a fundraiser to purchase its rental property to secure a river access point for paddlers and recreationalists for future generations. Learn about the vision of the first public access point for paddlers at Palmer Rapids and why this project is actually centered around the youngest paddlers we (don't yet) know.   

Ryan O'Connor is the executive director at Paddler Co-op and a passionate paddler and explorer. Since his first river trip on the Coulonge with his family as a young child, his love for whitewater and adventure in the outdoors has led him to pursue a career in the outdoor industry as a whitewater canoe and kayak instructor and wilderness guide. Ryan's journey has brought him to rivers all over Canada, the US, Mexico and Uganda in both canoe and kayak, and he now calls the Madawaska Valley home. Ryan holds certification as an advanced moving water canoe and kayak instructor and instructor trainer, a river rescue instructor, and head instructor at Paddler Co-op. He recently competed in the 2023 Freestyle Kayak nationals and won silver in the 2019 Open Canoe Whitewater Slalom North American Championships. 

Donation link

https://sweet-home-paddler-co-op.raisely.com/

Join via Zoom on Thursday April 4, 24 at 7 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83564789615

 Meeting ID: 835 6478 9615

 

The Basics
Event Location: 
Zoom online
Date(s) & Time: 
Thursday, April 4, 2024 - 19:00
Registration Cut Off: 
04/04/2024
Event Duration: 
1 hour
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
Everyone
Maximum Group Size: 
100
Minimum Group Size: 
2
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

Click on Zoom link on April 4, 2024 at 7 pm.

Required Items to Bring: 

n/a

Recommended Items to Bring: 

n/a

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

n/a

Carpool Info: 

n/a

Other
Cancellation Policy: 
No sign up required
Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Gary Ataman
Phone: 
905-922-1434

2024 WCA AGM

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place by Zoom this year.

Agenda:

  1. Welcome by the Chairman
  2. Approval of 2023 AGM minutes wca_agm_-_20220315_final.pdf (wildernesscanoe.ca)
  3. Committee Reports:
    • Membership
    • Treasurer 
    • Nastawgan
    • Outings
    • Communications
    • Conservation 
    • Website 
    • Election of Directors, Volunteers welcome
  4. Other Business  

If you are interested in joining the board or sitting on a committee we can always use your help.   Send us an email at  chair@wildernesscanoe.ca

2024 Openings; Membership and Treasurer

 

Time: Tuesday Mar 12, 2024   07:00-08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81987875405

Meeting ID: 819 8787 5405

 
 
 
The Basics
Event Location: 
Zoom call
Date(s) & Time: 
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 - 19:00
Registration Cut Off: 
3/12/2024
Event Duration: 
1 hour
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
members
Maximum Group Size: 
100
Minimum Group Size: 
10
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

See above

Required Items to Bring: 

See agenda

Recommended Items to Bring: 

See agenda

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

n/a

Carpool Info: 

n/a

Other
Cancellation Policy: 
n/a
Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Gary Ataman
Phone: 
905-922-1434

Swallowed by the Falls

 
SWALLOWED by the FALLS
 
This is the story of a near disaster at Swallow Falls in the Northwest Territories, an accident that occurred near the beginning of a 23-day trip down the Broken Skull and South Nahanni Rivers in early July 2023. 
Full disclosure – we deliberated for some time about writing this article. The feeling within our group was initially one of embarrassment and a desire to keep the incident to ourselves. That emotion was tempered with gratitude that no one was injured, and pride that we managed to rescue everyone, recover nearly all our equipment, repair our badly damaged canoes, and complete our journey. We ultimately concluded that if such an accident could happen to an experienced group like ours, it could happen to others. We hope that sharing our story might help other groups prepare for such risks.
 
See Nastawgan Winter 2023 for rest of the story.

https://wildernesscanoe.ca/sites/default/files/storage/Nastawgan/2023-4.pdf

 

Dawne and David Robinson have been with the WCA since 1999.  Bio to come.

 

Join Zoom Presentation on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2024 at 7 pm 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87235475958

 Meeting ID: 872 3547 5958

 

The Basics
Event Location: 
Your place
Date(s) & Time: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 19:00
Registration Cut Off: 
02/07/2024
Event Duration: 
1.5
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
Everyone
Maximum Group Size: 
100
Minimum Group Size: 
2
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

See Zoom link above

Required Items to Bring: 

n/a

Recommended Items to Bring: 

n/a

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

See Zoom Link above

Carpool Info: 

n/a

Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Gary Ataman
Phone: 
905-922-1434

Jeff's Paddling Maps

Maps play a pivotal role in the paddling experience. We use them to plan our trips, to navigate, and even to reminisce about the places we’ve been and the experiences we’ve had. Join Jeff, an avid paddler and mapmaker, as he explores the special relationship between maps and paddling, as well as the journey that lead to him creating his own series of maps.

Jeff McMurtrie is a paddler turned mapmaker. He got his start tripping through Algonquin at the age of 8 when his father took him on a weeklong trip. Once he was 15, he planned his first trip with a friend from school, which, as it turned out, was quite the ‘adventure’. That inadvertently lead to the start of his mapmaking career, as it inspired Jeff to create the most accurate and detailed map of the park ever created.

Join Zoom Presentation on Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024 at 7 pm 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83295943134

Meeting ID: 832 9594 3134

 

The Basics
Event Location: 
Zoom Presentation
Date(s) & Time: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 - 19:00
Registration Cut Off: 
1/31/2024
Event Duration: 
1 to 1.5 hours
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
Everyone
Maximum Group Size: 
100
Minimum Group Size: 
2
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

See Zoom link above

Required Items to Bring: 

n/a

Recommended Items to Bring: 

n/a

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

n/a

Carpool Info: 

n/a

Other
Cancellation Policy: 
n/a
Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Gary Ataman
Phone: 
905-922-1434

Canadian Wilderness Medical Training (CWMT) Certification - Event Full Feb 1, Waiting List people accepted

This 16 hour course concentrates on the basics of packaging and transporting patients, and managing life and limb threats in remote environments. It includes prevention and treatment of common environmental problems like hypothermia and heat exhaustion and stroke.
The Wilderness First Aid programs are designed for the recreational outdoor enthusiast, trip leader, and the professional guide. These courses are based on the principals of wilderness care and first aid.

To know the full details (and cost) of this course you need to log in and read the entirety of this outing on the WCA website, and the CWMT website. The CWMT is a certified education centre for the Emergency Care and Safety Institute and an Authorized Provider for the Canadian Red Cross.

** The WCA highly recommends that people organizing back country canoe trips take this course, especially for multiple day trips where 911 help isn't accessible. Also, it doesn't hurt to have multiple people trained on any trip.

Note: This is a repeat of the same course given in March 2023.

The Basics
Event Location: 
MEC, 784 Sheppard Avenue East, North York, Ontario. M2K1C3
Date(s) & Time: 
Saturday, March 16, 2024 - 10:00
Registration Cut Off: 
March 9,2024
Event Duration: 
2 days, March 16 and 17, 10 to 6 pm each day, 2024
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
WCA members and their friends
Maximum Group Size: 
14 people
Minimum Group Size: 
10 people
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

Arrive when the store opens, proceed to the 'Community Room' on the entrance level (north east corner). We will have a short lunch break mid day, each day. It is advised that you bring a lunch. There is a Starbucks nearby, and a few fast food outlets.

This is a 2 day course, Saturday and Sunday.

Required Items to Bring: 

Come dressed comfortably enough to kneel on the floor to perform First Aid Scenarios.

Recommended Items to Bring: 

Money! In the past MEC has offered a 10% discount on the Sunday to the workshop participants. I can't guarantee this but they did offer it when I asked last year. I will smile and ask again. :)

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

The Mountain Equipment Company Store,
784 Sheppard Avenue East
North York, Ontario
M2K 1C3
** This location can be accessed by the Bessarian Subway Stop on the Sheppard East line of the TTC

There is underground parking beneath the MEC store.

Carpool Info: 

N/A

Other
Cancellation Policy: 
Refunds only if more than 12 people sign up. If we do not get 10 people and the course doesn't 'go' I will, of course, refund everyone.
Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
iori miller
Phone: 
Please use my email

Greenmantle River, a Wabakimi Gem - Zoom Presentation

Greenmantle River, a Wabakimi Gem

This wild little river may lack girth and length but it is long on adventure and isolation.  Hidden in the far northwest corner of Wabakimi Provincial Park, the Greenmantle River provides access to a huge swath of protected wilderness.  Perceived as too small to navigate, the paddler is challenged by long, twisting technical rapids, log jams, down trees, shallow wetlands and one demanding portage.  The reward is an opportunity to explore a remote boreal forest and possibly catch an elusive brook trout. 

Our presentor, Vern Fish is the former Executive Director of the Black Hawk County Conservation Board in Waterloo, Iowa.  He serves on the board of directors of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Board and the Conservation Corps of Iowa/Minnesota.  He is currently the president of the Friends of Wabakimi.  An advocate for clean water, he serves as an elected commissioner on the Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District.  A passionate paddler he has run wild rivers from South America to the Mexican border and north to the Arctic Circle with stops at Hudson Bay.

Join Zoom Meeting at 7 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87084912035

Meeting ID: 870 8491 2035

 

The Basics
Event Location: 
Your place
Date(s) & Time: 
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 - 19:00
Registration Cut Off: 
1/15/2024
Event Duration: 
1.5 hours
Difficulty Rating: 
Beginner
Participant Info
Who's Invited: 
everyone
Maximum Group Size: 
100
Minimum Group Size: 
2
Itinerary
Itinerary description: 

Zoom call

Required Items to Bring: 

N/A

Recommended Items to Bring: 

N/A

How to Get There
Event Directions: 

N/A

Carpool Info: 

N/A

Other
Cancellation Policy: 
N/A
Event Coordinator/s Contact Information
Contact (Name): 
Gary Ataman
Phone: 
905-922-1434
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