Hi! I’m Marcus Proctor. I’m from Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. I traveled to Vancouver Island, BC, this summer for my Canadian Summer Placement. I did a 21-Day Sea-Kayaking trip with Outward Bound Canada.

The weather was amazing with mostly clear skies and hot temperatures. The plants and
landscape were very different compared to home. The tall red cedars, mountains surrounding us, various ferns, bushes, and berries, created a surreal atmosphere. The beaches and forests are crawling with life. (I actually thought the rocks were moving away from me, turns out, it was just shore crabs trying not to get squished).

During the three weeks, we spent a week going around Kennedy Lake. Learning how to
maneuver the kayaks, and getting used to camp-life. The last two weeks were spent on the ocean near Tofino. We went around Meares, and part way around Vargas Island.
I learned a lot about myself in the way of emotions, feelings, and relationships I hold close. During the three weeks, I found that dietary changes and times that I eat were things that affected me. I had stomach problems for the first week and felt homesick, but for traditional food. Eventually, I adjusted. I had a lot of time to reflect on different habits, relationships, and how I want to go forward after this summer. I believe during these three weeks, I changed a lot mentally and how I view things are different.

I had a TON of new ‘firsts’ and experiences on this trip– First time traveling out of territory alone, checking into/out of hotels, almost losing luggage, first time kayaking and surfing, seeing/tasting the ocean, and seeing snails, slugs and crabs. Everything was overwhelmingly calming, I found satisfaction in navigating through these experiences by myself. It was empowering in a way.

During the first week of the trip, we were on Kennedy Lake. It was our 4th day, so we were still learning about camp dos-and-don’ts. Another participant and I were having a late-night conversation by the shore while everyone else was sleeping. When we got to the tent, we had forgotten our snack bags inside our drybags and decided to leave it there, instead of putting them inside the kayaks (to prevent smell and animals). About 5 minutes go by and we hear some sticks snapping behind us in the forest. We stare at each other in silence, listening to the bushes rustling behind us. An animal sniffed out our snacks and decided it was gonna come for a midnight visit. It didn’t come into the tent or try to get the food, but it got awfully close and proceeded to wander off back into the woods. Safe to say, we didn’t keep anything food-related near our tents for the remainder of the trip.

This program has impacted me in ways I am still trying to comprehend. It will be a memory I reflect on and hold close for a long time after. I would totally recommend doing this program, if you are willing to commit, participate, learn, and most importantly, are willing to change and share your views and opinions.

I would like to give a huge thank you to Northern Youth Abroad, Outward Bound Canada, Yamoga Land and Water Board, and my community members. This summer wouldn’t have been possible without any of these organizations and people. I’ve had the best summer, filled with many life experiences and a ton of great people from all across Canada.