Eight teenage boys and four guides from Camp Pathfinder discover resilience, friendship and the extraordinary beauty of Canada’s remote wilderness in Nunavik, Quebec and Northern Labrador.
“This place is paradise. It’s impossible not to just stop and stare. It’s like in every direction you look could be the world’s greatest postcard,” said Jamie Sills, a canoe tripping guide for Camp Pathfinder. Based in Ontario, Camp Pathfinder is a summer camp for boys that specializes in multi-day backcountry canoe trips.
This past summer, Jamie embarked on a 37-day canoe expedition with three other guides and eight 15-year-old boys from across North America. Traversing some of Canada’s most remote and rugged landscapes, the adventure took them down wild rivers, across mountain ranges, through deep canyons, and eventually to the Labrador Sea.
On this epic adventure through the Labrador wilderness, these young campers showed their maturity and capability while building fortitude, strong relationships and experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
An unforgettable journey through an extraordinarily beautiful wilderness
“The majestic and haunting beauty of Nunavik, the barren lands and Labrador, cannot be overstated.”
On this trip, the group spent nights sleeping in fields of caribou moss within northern spruce and tamarack forests. They portaged across the open Labrador Barrens, encountered wild caribou grazing, and stood high on the Labrador plateau to see sweeping views of lakes and rivers. The group camped across from a thunderous waterfall, cascading 700 feet into the Kogaluk River canyon. They paddled wild rivers surrounded by towering mountain peaks and through the open waters of the Labrador Sea, watching Orcas hunting seals.
This was an unforgettable trip through jaw-dropping natural beauty, but it almost didn’t happen. The 2026 expedition was supposed to be in Northern Quebec, paddling through the Seal Lakes and Nastapoka River. After outfitting for the trip, organizers received reports of spreading wildfires directly where they’d be travelling. Looking for Plan B, Jamie pitched exploring Labrador instead. He’d researched and planned the trip in detail during the off-season.
The New Route: Kogaluk River Expedition
Launching at Schefferville, Quebec, they’d paddle the De Pas and George rivers in Nunavik, Quebec, into Labrador. They would traverse a mountain range, paddling a series of lakes through the Labrador Barrens to reach the highlands and switch from the Ungava Bay watershed to the Atlantic watershed. To do so, they would descend a canyon to reach the Kogaluk River, which flows into the Labrador Sea. The final destination was the coastal town of Nain.
Using this route plan, camp leadership planned transportation and evacuation, organized maps, and built a brand-new trip plan. They did all of this, miraculously, in one day. This trip took Pathfinders to a destination they had never been to before. It was the first trip in Labrador and, with the region 1500 km away, the farthest from Pathfinder’s base camp on Source Lake.
Camp Pathfinder: Wilderness Canoe Tripping that Shapes the Lives of Youth
Camp Pathfinder is a summer camp for boys, ages 7 to 16, located on Source Lake in Algonquin Park, Ontario. Since 1914, it has specialized in backcountry canoe tripping in the Algonquin backcountry. For older boys, trips trace the northern rivers of Ontario and Quebec, and this year, Labrador.
Jamie Sills is a 23-year-old, 5th-year Headman with Camp Pathfinder, a title given to senior wilderness canoe trip guides. He has worked with Camp Pathfinder as a guide for seven years and has attended the camp since he was 10.
Jamie told us that Camp Pathfinder “thrives on a culture that promotes love, camaraderie, leadership and humility. In my time growing up at camp, I think Pathfinder does best at helping boys strive to become men. To become a man who is kind, patient, respectful, creative, silly, and passionate. Wilderness expeditions and canoe tripping play an instrumental role in this journey.”
On a canoe trip, youth are stripped of distraction, outside influence and an easy way out of problems. Disconnected from their phones, they can be totally present. If you want to go somewhere, the only way is to hike or paddle there. If you are hungry, you have to get up, collect wood, make a fire and cook a meal. In these situations, teens learn to rely on themselves and those around them, take control of their day, communicate their needs, and help one another.
Pathfinder has helped me become more confident, collaborative, responsible and decisive. It has made me empathetic and caring for others, while also giving me a platform to be independent and strive to become a better guide, leader and person.
Jamie Sills
Building confidence and resilience in the wild
These campers all have backcountry canoeing experience, having been on expeditions with Camp Pathfinder up to 20 days long in the years prior to this one. They pass swim tests, must be able to safely exit and re-enter a capsized canoe, and have learned to paddle in whitewater. The guides have countless certifications in whitewater rescue, wilderness first response, wilderness water safety and several others.
This group is as prepared as they can be, but the wilderness throws hurdles their way that demand mental strength, adaptability, teamwork, and true grit. Here are examples of such challenges.
Capsizing and Carrying On
On Day 12, while paddling a taxing, challenging section of the De Pas River, they hit rapids more powerful than scouted. Already exhausted from paddling, the rapids capsized three out of four boats into the freezing cold water. The guides switched from tripping to rescue, and everyone worked together to get people and equipment out of the river. Wet, cold, and discouraged, the youth persevered. They worked as a team to reload the canoes and head back out onto the river to find a safe place to warm up, camp and reflect. This incident showed the boys they could do hard things and, together, keep going toward the end goal.
Descending into the Kogaluk River Canyon
On Day 24, after traversing the Labrador Plateau, the group looked down an 800-foot canyon towards the Kogaluk River below.
“Firstly, the whole area is the most visually stunning place I have ever been. But what made reaching our destination so memorable was the challenge and 24 days of hard work it took to get there. We all formed a close bond through trials and tribulations, so reaching this paradise was an incredible moment for us to share.”
Reaching that extraordinarily beautiful river, however, would require one of the expedition’s greatest efforts. Sure, that means descending about 800 feet of vertical loss, but it also meant travelling two kilometres, with the last 300 metres through fields of rock, cliffs, and dense forest. Preparing for this feat took a full two days of scouting and trail blazing, primarily by the other two Headmen on the trip, Mac and Sam.
“Descending the canyon is a crazy moment in and of itself. Much of our descent included using ropes to rappel our canoes down the mountainside, and having our campers slide down with packs,” shared Jamie.
Bringing canoes, gear and campers down the 60% grade of the mountainside required exceptional teamwork and communication. It took teams of staff and campers hours per boat, managing rope to guide the canoes over trees, small cliffs and a steep slope.
“Upon reaching the river, I remember being filled with both extreme joy and relief, but also anxiety. By having descended the canyon, there was no turning back, and the river in front of us was such an unknown. We could see rapids and mountainous canyon walls lining the river for over 100km to the end of the river. I simply told myself that whatever comes next, we’ll simply figure it out together, and to enjoy the adventure in front of us.”
Campers take action on the Kogaluk River
On Day 27, on the Kogaluk River, the group came across whitewater sections even more challenging than those on the De Pas River earlier in the trip. To add to the task, cliff walls towered hundreds of feet above the paddlers in the canyon, closing in on the river. Misjudged rapids suddenly swept Jamie, two campers and their canoe towards a rock in the middle of the river. It pinned the boat to the rock, and swimming to shore through the rapids was impossible.
The teens took action, climbed out of the boat, hips-deep in the freezing current. They quickly helped their leader gather gear and prepare to unpin the boat. The rest of the group joined the rescue. Using Whitewater Rescue Technician training, guides helped the boys set up a rope system that steered the boat and ferried the stranded paddlers safely to shore.
These boys are young, but after nearly a month in the wilderness together, they were focused, confident, and reliable. They effortlessly worked together to solve a challenging problem and keep their friends safe. When the two stranded campers were asked why they didn’t freak out or cry while they were stuck out there for over an hour, they replied, “What would that have done? Nothing good would have come of us freaking out.”
Through experiences like these, the youth showed their maturity and capability while building resilience, responsibility and a brotherhood with their trip mates.
Lessons from the backcountry
“I think one of the biggest lessons that we tried to impart on our campers was the idea that we experience success and failure as a team rather than as an individual.”
Individual successes are celebrated, but on an expedition of this magnitude, the most important takeaway is that they did it together. They travelled at the speed of the group, not the fastest member. It doesn’t matter who finished first, only that they all finished. This reinforced the importance of a shared accomplishment while offering countless lessons in humility, commitment, and respect for others.
That sense of unity became especially clear near the end of the expedition. On Day 33, the guides gave the boys a choice: paddle to Nain and finish the trip early, or spend another night camping in the wilderness. Rather than voting individually, the campers discussed their options and returned with a decision they had made together. Jamie later learned that their conversation hadn’t focused so much on which option to choose, but on ensuring everyone had a voice and felt part of the decision.
These boys learned that working together was crucial when performing canoe rescues and dropping boats and gear into a canyon. They also learned that it’s about listening, respecting different perspectives, and putting the group ahead of themselves.
Through all of this, including teamwork to navigate a harsh environment, they gained confidence in their abilities, independence and personal responsibility. This gave them tenacity in difficult situations and made them strong contributors to a shared mission.
”I hope they remember their strength and how they learned to push through challenges. If at 15 years old they can suffer through cold and rain while carrying a 100lb pack up mountains, and paddle a raging mountain river while their hands were shivering, they can do anything.”
Labrador Canoe Expedition Gallery
The Power of Camp and the Great Outdoors
Being involved with Camp Pathfinder since he was a child, Jamie has been where these boys were. He has benefited from similar experiences for more than half his life.
“Camp Pathfinder has been the place where I have grown the most in my life and been able to experience countless once-in-a-lifetime moments. Pathfinder has helped me become more confident, collaborative, responsible and decisive. It has made me empathetic and caring for others, while also giving me a platform to be independent and strive to become a better guide, leader and person. I have been so fortunate to have been able to try so many new things.
I think most importantly, Pathfinder has taught me how to slow down and be present. It has shown me the power and what a group can achieve through teamwork and collaboration. Pathfinder has been an integral part of my life. It has shaped my personality, relationships and outlook on the events of my life.”
What’s your next adventure?
If you want to experience the countless benefits of the outdoors, it doesn’t have to mean 37 days in the remote wilderness. Long expeditions don’t have to be the only way to experience nature, as this group with Camp Pathfinder did.
“My advice for where to start is to do something as simple as sitting outside and letting the wind blow through your hair. Find a time and place to leave your phone and other distractions behind and do something that lets your mind wander.”
For parents, Jamie suggests looking for ways to keep kids entertained outdoors without distractions. It’s a challenge at first, but letting your mind daydream while appreciating nature, observing all the sights and sounds of the wild, is a beautiful thing. For Jamie, it’s a practice that has served him throughout his life.
In fact, it was a practice integrated into every day of the canoe trip. Periodically throughout each day, the group had two minutes of silence. “These two minutes often became our most reflective and cherished moments of the trip,” said Jamie. “We let our minds wander, look around and appreciate our surroundings, and listen to the sounds around us.”
Even after over a month of demanding physical challenges, technical (and often exhausting) paddling, break-taking landscapes and extraordinary wildlife encounters, these adventurers found some of the most meaningful moments in quiet reflection, enjoying the natural world.
