Week one at Keeners has been amazing. The Ottawa river is so fun and is a great temperature that allows you to paddle all day. The entire Wilderness Tours property is incredible and provides perfect places for our camp, put in and take out. So far the experiences made by the camp and staff have been incredible. Not only does the camp teach you important skills when it comes to kayaking but it is also a youth development program.
One way that they imply this is by shared cabins. Sharing cabins with multiple other strangers allows you to figure out ways to share and work together with others even when you don’t know them. It allows you to problem solve together on a day to day basis. Whether that problem solving is a system of dishes, laundry, bathroom use, sleeping arrangements, cooking or chores, it all plays a part into the way we work together to handle these scenarios. Sharing cabins is also a great way to make new friends.
After only a couple of days we have all gotten so close. We have all learned to be kind and respectful of each other’s space and we also try to help each other out as much as we can. Making new friends is often something that many people fear, at keeners it is so easy to do. Coming to Keeners as the worst paddler here was terrifying at first, but after the first day, I saw how nice everyone was and how helpful everyone wanted to be. My coaches and peers were constantly celebrating every small accomplishment I had. Every person here has been so welcoming and it’s very special to see how everyone is stoked to be here all the time, it’s something that I am looking forward to being apart of for the next two weeks.
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