Summer fun is on the way!

During the snowy winter months, we were thinking ahead to summer, and asked you where you like to go and what you like to do. We wanted to hear about your adventures. Here’s a sampling of what you told us.

Canoe trips in the backcountry

Mackay Centre School of the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) student River had a rough start, and he now experiences many challenges of a life living with cerebral palsy (CP). But right from the beginning, his parents decided that they wanted to get River out into the woods with them on their annual backcountry canoe trips. It’s something they love to do and wanted to share with their kids, and at the same time, they wanted to prove to the world that even CP couldn’t stop them from living a good life.

“River went on his first portage trip when he was only nine-weeks old! Now at age 12, River and his sister Sky have been on dozens of canoe-camping trips,” said Anna Calvert, River’s mother. “While the logistical puzzles have become more complex as River gets bigger, like how do we fit a wheelchair in the canoe, it’s been totally worth the laughs and shared experiences as a family.”

Calvert reports that their favourite canoe-tripping locations are Réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle in Quebec and Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario.

Biking for all kids

From May to August, Espoirs Laval offers inclusive cycling programs for all children aged five to 16, including those with physical disabilities or are neurodivergent. We were informed about this resource thanks to EMSB parent Julie Kristof – chair of the John Grant High School – whose son races competitively with the Espoirs Laval team and whose daughter has disabilities.

Located at the Centre de la Nature in Laval, Espoirs Laval includes a day camp, a para-youth program and specialized training sessions on Mondays and Thursdays.

“In the world of cycling, there is a place for everyone,” said Camille Desjardins-Leduc, assistant coach and head of para-cycling at Espoirs Laval. Desjardins-Leduc was named community coach of the year for Cycling Canada and Fédération Québécoise des sports cyclistes in 2022 for introducing the first Paracycling program for children in Quebec. She has made it her mission to improve bicycle accessibility for people living with disabilities.

Desjardins-Leduc explains that Espoirs Laval takes an inclusive approach to camp. Children participate in a group, with a companion available for personalized support. The day can include games, a hike, activities and of course, cycling. For longer rides, a child’s bike can be attached to that of an animator.

Espoirs Laval has adapted bikes that can be rented during camp sessions. If the child would like to cycle afterwards at home, Desjardins-Leduc recommends renting an adapted bicycle through the Quebec government’s adapted tricycles and bicycles rental program. Visit https://tinyurl.com/yckvaerr.

For information about Espoirs Laval, visit www.espoirslaval.ca.

Treetop adventures

Last summer, Jason Goldsmith and his son Ellis, student at Wagar Adult Education Centre of the EMSB, visited Uplå in Mont-Saint-Grégoire. This labyrinth of suspension bridges and trampolines connect to a network of unique and colourful treehouses, all of which are suspended in the air at the foot of the mountain. “It is unique and pretty amazing,” said Goldsmith, who wanted to share his experience of Uplå for neurodivergent and neurotypical adventure seekers. 

Uplå has an accessible entrance, and those in wheelchairs can travel around the site, however the netting is not recommended for those with mobility issues, explained Catherine Brunet-Collard, operations manager at the Quebec Arbraska park, which falls under the same ownership as other parks including Uplå and Treetop Trekking.

Visit upla.ca for more information.