WEA's teen Forest Canoe Route Summer Camp is run as a partnership between WEA and Western Educational Adventure Society (WEAS). When people think about the West Coast, Vancouver Island, Campbell River, etc., they don't think about canoeing on a pristine freshwater lake chain! However, Vancouver Island's own Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit is a breath-taking, lesser-known wilderness adventure your teen will not want to miss! Youth travel accross lakes large and small and are challenged by portages (traveling from lake to lake), small, low-risk rivers and beaver. Like with most of WEA's programs, teens learn trip specific skills like canoe rescues, how to paddle, portaging, how to camp and cook as well as soft skills like leadership, conflict resolution and other life skills. Sign-up for our Teen Summer Canoeing Camp today!
This program is intended for kids with lots of energy who are physically fit and able to push themselves (within reason). For more info on physical fitness for this camp, CLICK HERE.
The WEA Expedition Summer Camp Advantage - Click here
| AGE | GENDER | PROGRAM LENGTH | TRIP LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 13-16 | Inclusive | 7 days | 5 days |
| PRICE | |||
| $1,378 - 1,778 + GST | |||
| PROGRAM DATES | AVAILABILITY | ||
| July 3 - 9, 2024 | Registration Closed | ||
| SHARE | |||
Availability updated Aug 6, 2024. Live availability can be found on our registration software.
| SHARE | ONLINE REGISTRATION | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| REGISTER NOW |
Call us now at 250-888-1622 and talk to a real person!! or, if you can't talk now, please click on the following button to take you to the contact information survey (takes 1 to 2 minutes to complete) and we will get back to you within 2-5 business days. If you are inquiring about financial assistance, Click here.
While we may stage our Wilderness youth sea kayaking camp at another location, we typically start and end our teen wilderness canoeing camp at Camp Kingswood, 611 Linnet Lane, Saanich, BC V9E 2B1. WEA's Victoria-based overnight canoeing expedition program runs from 15:15 on Sunday to 15:15 on Friday. Campers spend their first day getting to know each other and preparing for the canoe trip. On day 2, the kids will be transported from Victoria to the Campbell River area to start their canoe trip preparations. Families living up island may be able to pick-up their youth along the way on the final day of the program. Transportation from the city, ferries and airport is available. These transportation services must be arranged in advance.
| START/END | LOCATION | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Camp Kingswood, 611 Linnet Lane, Saanich, BC V9E 2B1 | 15:15 |
| End | Camp Kingswood, 611 Linnet Lane, Saanich, BC V9E 2B1 | 15:15 |
**Ferry and airport pick-up/drop-off for campers available for those that live out of town**
Typically we require families to pick-up and drop-off their kids directly at our staging location (above). If you need transportation for your camper to and from camp from the city, ferries or airport or are wishing to pick you camper up on the final day of the program up-island, please CONTACT US.
Below is an informational package for our lake canoeing program. It is designed to give you a better idea about our overnight canoeing summer camp program, including pick-up times, activities, etc. Please note that schedules, days, activities & trip locations may vary depending on the weather, logistics, group input and group dynamics.
As we operate our programs outside and often in wilderness environments, it is essential that all families pack all items on our packing list. Failing to do so may compromise your childs safety and experience. Base items can be rented or loaned depending on your financial situation. Other items can be purchsed from WEA, for more information click the rental gear & add-on button below.
CANOE PACKING LIST RENTAL GEAR & ADD-ONS
We believe that youth programming should be safe, fun and staffed by the best people in the industry.
"My 14 year old son had a great time at summer camp. It was a multi-age camp which is a bit unusual, but provides a unique experience for kids to learn and be a leader outside of their usual school age cohort. I like that the camp is fairly low-key and provides time for reflection and personal growth. I imagine this may be a less competitive atmosphere than some of the larger camps. The programming was good and varied. A great bonus from the camp was my son willingly offered to take out the garbage and recycling when he arrived home. He has continued to offer to do chores and contribute more to the household routines! Thanks Landon!"
- Karla Benson
Call us now at 250-888-1622 and talk to a real person!! or, if you can't talk now, please click on the following button to take you to the contact information survey (takes 1 to 2 minutes to complete) and we will get back to you within 2-5 business days. If you are inquiring about financial assistance, Click here.
Every lake on the 11-lake Sayward Canoe Route is unique. The Campbell River backcountry campsites have giant cedar plank picnic tables, there are numerous small, shallow rivers to paddle down, beaver dams to scramble over, and all within the forest with endless Strathcona Park mountain views in the distance. Kids and teens learn about nature, camping skills, leadership and more. The best part - they don’t even realize it!
The first two or three days of the program is all about preparing for the trip. How do we pack our backpacks and canoes? What gear do we need? Who is carrying what? What do you do if you capsize?
Modern youth do not get very many opportunities to learn life skills such as how to lead others, manage conflict and think for themselves. Western Education Adventure’s Victoria BC canoeing summer camp focuses specifically on these skills.
During the Vancouver Island Canoeing trip, teens are often split into pairs. Daily, a pair is selected to be responsible for leading the entire group, acting as the trip leaders. In the evening, the pair debriefs their experience, talking about what they learned and how it can be applied in the future. In short, participants learn what it means to be an adult!
Youth learn many of the skills required to run a successful backcountry paddling trip. Everything from making a meal plan to planning a route to cleaning up after it's all done. Kids come away from this experience with a serious backcountry skill set.
• Leadership • Decision Making • Conflict Management • Group Management • Route Panning • Navigation • Canoeing and Portaging • Canoe and Water Safety • Canoe Rescues • Camping Practices • Food packing • Cooking • Fire building • Knife and Stove Safety • Backcountry Equipment Maintenance
Western Educational Adventures takes safety seriously. Not only do we want our participants to have an exceptional time, but just as importantly, we want them to return home safe and sound. All of Western Educational Adventures staff are certified in high level first aid and have years of experience managing risk in the outdoors. You won’t find a more qualified staff team anywhere else!
"Landon took our family on a sea kayak paddle starting out of Victoria. This was our first time sea kayaking but we felt confident in Landon keeping our trip safe and enjoyable. In little time we were safely paddling and navigating the water. It was a great day!"
-Alex Damjanovic
We believe that a good experience starts with good nutrition. Proper diet and eating habits are lacking in today’s society - a result of readily available fast foods, processed foods and a lack of nutritional education. We strive to provide quality, simple, wholesome meals with limited processed ingredients – in addition to the occasional smores and limited other tasty treats. This is part of why we include our participants in all meal planning, purchasing and cooking.
We are also very experienced in dealing with dietary restrictions and serious food allergies. Great care is taken to avoid serious participant food allergens whenever possible. Where this is not possible, we take great care to avoid cross contamination of ingredients.
"Landon guided an overnight trip for our family on the Juan de Fuca trail. Healthy eating is important to us. Landon helped our kids build an outdoor oven and they were soon baking an amazing dinner. It’s an incredible feeling knowing that you can look after yourself in the outdoors."
-Carole Damnjanovic
If you want to sign up, the process is simple. Here’s what you do:
Fill in your email and create a password
Input your information. This is a one time step, your info will be there for the rest of the summer!
Input your child (or children's information), select the program(s) you wish to register for.
**All personal information provided will not be shared with third parties unless it is relevant to the participants well being or quality of experience**
Call us now at 250-888-1622 and talk to a real person!! or, if you can't talk now, please complete the following contact information survey (takes 1 to 2 minutes to complete) and we will get back to you within 2-5 business days. If you are inquiring about financial assistance, Click here.
Sayward Forest Canoe Expedition
It might be a little bit fun...
The sunsets are ok, I guess.
A room with a view
No, your other left!!
We all get a little Loonie sometimes.
Look at me go!
Can't you see I just love portaging?
Stroke, stroke, stroke, the view doesn't matter, keep paddling!
I am taking a picture, but you can keep paddling!
The best trip of my life is drawing to a close
Those dam beavers!
Teamwork makes the dream work!
What a beautiful green canoe!
Are we there yet??
And that's a wrap!
