Big expeditions for young campers

There are summer camps that go beyond traditional activities like canoeing, rock climbing or archery. They offer real backcountry expeditions that test the limits of young people and have the potential to transform them into true adventurers.

Ideally, this section would begin with an interview with Nicolas Roulx and Guillaume Moreau, who would explain how their time at Camp Kéno, in Portneuf, triggered their thirst for adventure.

But here it is, Nicolas Roulx and Guillaume Moreau are in the middle of a crossing of Canada’s three northern territories by bike, canoe, sailboat and on foot. It’s hard to talk to them when they’re in the middle of the tundra.

On the other hand, in the interviews they have given in the past, they have often spoken about their time at Camp Kéno as campers and counselors, and the lessons they learned from it.

In 2018, Nicolas Roulx, Guillaume Moreau and four other Quebecers canoed 1,600 kilometers across northern Quebec and Labrador. It was the first AKOR expedition.

In 2021, the two friends upped the ante by crossing the whole of Canada from north to south, a 7,600-kilometre journey by ski, canoe and bike, with various partners.

This year, the third AKOR expedition will take on the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, in an expedition that is expected to last six months.

Nicolas Roulx was keen to highlight Kéno’s contribution in a thank you note at the very end of 234 daysthe story of the second AKOR expedition across Canada.

“Thank you for forging in us the desire to return to the wilderness again and again,” he wrote. “Thank you for teaching us about failure, vulnerability, and perseverance, and for showing us the importance of slowing down and staying connected to this natural world that has the potential to profoundly transform us all.”

The story of a camp like no other

Camp Kéno opened in 1966.

“The founder, Father Paul Bélanger, was passionate about canoeing,” says Geneviève Locas, communications coordinator at Kéno. “Canoeing has been part of the camp’s mission since day one.”

Kéno offers short stays at the camp itself, but also canoe-camping expeditions outside, which vary in length and difficulty, from a four-day introduction to river canoeing to the epic 30-day expedition to Labrador and the Moisie River, reserved for young people aged 18 to 20.

“This is our expertise and this is what we believe in the most,” says Mr.^me Locas. Through the canoe-camping expedition, young people develop qualities that are truly enriching. We learn to surpass ourselves, to do things we have never done, to overcome challenges with other young people, to communicate, to see that we have the strength to achieve great things.

These fully independent stays obviously take place without screens.

There is obviously a progression for young campers. Before dreaming of the Moisie River, they must cut their teeth on smaller but still enriching expeditions, such as the leadership camps, the Métabetchouane River, the Mistassibi Northwest River and the Ashuapmushuan River.

Geneviève Locas herself spent 13 summers at Camp Kéno in various roles.

“I’m from the same generation as Nicolas Roulx and Guillaume Moreau,” she recalls. “I saw them grow up at the camp with me. After that, we became instructors, we became guides. When they left the camp, they immediately started organizing their own big expeditions.”

The two adventurers have become role models for young campers.

“It creates a nice handover,” says M.^me Locations.

Nicolas Roulx and Guillaume Moreau have organized conferences to raise funds for the Kéno Foundation. Because obviously, large canoe-camping expeditions are expensive and not all families can register their children.

“We have a lot of young people who come through this foundation, who will be trained in our programs,” says Mr.^me Locas. We try to have them with us from one year to the next to have a significant impact on their journey and on their community.”

There are other camps that offer expeditions for budding adventurers, such as Camp Tekakwitha, Camp Minogami, and Camp Quatre Saisons. It’s a little late for this summer, but it gives you time to prepare for next year.

Visit the Keno camp website