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Ottawa River Experiential Education Program

Leadership | Rafting & Multi-Sport | Wilderness Camping

On this 4 to 6-day expedition, watch your students bond as a team and grow as individuals.

Days are full of learning whitewater safety, practicing backcountry skills, and navigating fun rapids on one of North America’s most iconic rivers. The group will raft to The Rivercamp, where misty mornings and starry nights around the fire — moments of laughter and connection — become memories that inspire all for the school year ahead and a lifetime of exploring.

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Program Overview

Students experience the magic of a river journey, camping by the riverside. Along with having a positive experience with the river, participants will:

  • Develop teamwork and leadership skills
  • Learn whitewater safety and rescue techniques
  • Learn how to stay comfortable and thrive while wilderness camping
  • Explore the history, ecology, and culture of the Ottawa River valley
  • Raft, kayaraft (inflatable kayak), riverboard, and hike
  • Learn about the region’s Indigenous culture and history with an educator from Kitigan Zibi

Why the Ottawa River?

Flowing 1,271 km from its source in the boreal forests of Québec to where it meets the St. Lawrence near Montreal, the Ottawa is an important waterway full of history and life.

World-Class Whitewater

Known as one of the best sections of rapids for rafting and kayaking on the planet, this warm-water paradise has hosted multiple kayak and raft world championships. The rapids are famous for their playful features and big, friendly waves. With the Middle Channel, Main Channel, and maze of side channels, it’s like having many rivers in one, all right at our (tent) door. The surrounding towering white pine woodlands and wetlands make this the most biodiverse area of Quebec.

The water levels are always great

Because it’s such a large, multi-channel river, the Ottawa always has fun waves and features at every water level — spring, summer, and fall.

River adventures and whitewater skills instruction

Each day includes a mix of activities both on the water and on land.

When we first arrive, we’ll show everybody around our expedition camp set-up. Students experience the systems that we use on extended trips to keep everybody happy, healthy, and hygienic. We have stations around camp for:

  • Hand washing
  • Filtering drinking water
  • Dish washing

We cook in a well-organized backcountry kitchen. Summer in the Ottawa valley and Outaouais has amazing local produce and we use as many locally sourced ingredients from nearby farms as we possibly can. Throughout the trip, everybody participates and contributes to daily camp life and will have the opportunity to practice fire-building, making shelters, backcountry cooking, and more!

Students take turns leading all of the tasks, working in small groups, with our staff providing supervision and guidance. Each day, after everybody has done their part at camp, the group will have time to enjoy ‘the river life’:

  • Hammocks, fishing, riverside hangout
  • Dinner, stargazing, and campfire
  • Cards, frisbees, games
  • We bring a guitar and other instruments if anyone in your group is musical — some of our guides dabble in rock stardom

Solo Time in Nature

This trip isn’t only about group time. Students also have the chance to step away from the action if they’d like: stretch out in the sun on bedrock by the river, sit quietly in the woods with their senses wide open, or recline in a hammock or tent with a good book.

Sample Itinerary

From The Rivercamp, we set out on adventures to explore the islands and other whitewater channels of the river. There are rapids and small lakes both upstream and downstream of the camp that we travel to along trails or by river. These sites provide endless incredible training locations for skills instruction and fun exploration. Students will learn how to ‘read the water’ so they can work with the river, not against it, when maneuvering around both in boats and when swimming. We cover important safety principles, including how to recognize hazards and how to communicate on the river. Teamwork is needed for skills and drills such as ‘shallow water crossings’ and throwing and catching rescue ropes.

Students will learn how to paddle their own craft in whitewater in stable, easy-to-steer kayarafts (inflatable kayaks). These are perfect for following the guides through beginner-friendly rapids as they ride over and splash through waves with ease.

Trying riverboarding is a highlight as well! The Ottawa is the perfect place to catch a wave on a board and go for a surf. It’s exhilarating to have the water rushing under you — and comforting to know that the water is deep and warm and there are recovery pools just downstream of the surf waves where you can get back on your board and try again.

After building up our skills on the Middle Channel, on Day 3 or 4 we will set out for ‘The Super Loop’:

  • Paddle across flat water from camp to a huge island
  • 1-hour hike across island to The Lost Channel
  • Paddle to the start of the Main Channel
  • Raft the big-volume Main Channel rapids: The Lorne, Push Button, Butcher’s Knife, Lunch Stop Waves, Norman’s, Coliseum, Dog’s Leg / Centre Slot, and Farmer’s
  • Riverside lunch along the way
  • Tons of opportunities for more surfing and learning whitewater as we go
  • After the last rapids, we have a short paddle, then a hike to make it back to The Rivercamp — a full day of adventure under our own power!

Downstream to the Take-Out

On Day 5, we’ll pack up camp and spend another day on the river, making our way downstream to where the Middle and Main channels meet and onwards to the take-out. Along the way there are opportunities for more instruction, more rapids, and a gorgeous calm section where we can float and swim for a full kilometer with gentle current pulling us along.

For the 6-day program: The adventure continues! We load up and drive ~1h 45min to Ciel et Bois.

The 6-day option includes an urban element but continues the connection with the river: Ottawa is unique in the world as a capital city you can paddle through the heart of in whitewater boats!

Located 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa and The Byward Market, Ciel et Bois is our retreat venue and outdoor education facility — ideal for transitioning from the woods back towards urban life while still being in a peaceful, private location with just our group.

Here we’ll cook a final feast together. The kitchen is optimized for group meals and great for a homemade pizza party or BBQ, campfire, and lawn games. With volleyball, badminton, ping pong, and possibly even karaoke!

The next morning, we embark on one more kayarafting adventure: The Capital Extravaganza:

  • Depart from a city park on the banks of the Ottawa
  • Paddle out to the middle of the river and run ‘The Dessert Wave’ (can easily be avoided if anybody would prefer a drier route)
  • Paddle through a series of beautiful islands near the War Museum
  • Portage a few blocks through the streets to The Pumphouse, the national kayak slalom training centre
  • Paddle the whitewater slalom course and then through a giant culvert underneath the streets (regularly paddled/swam by slalom kayakers), where we emerge just upstream of the Rideau Canal and Parliament Hill
  • Paddle by and beneath some of Canada’s most recognized structures, including the Library of Parliament and the Canadian Museum of History
  • Finish at The River House, where we change, have the option of a final swim, have lunch, say goodbye to the guides, and load back up for the drive back home

Our Safety Standards

Risk Management

We understand that safety is your top priority. Our experienced team works with you to understand your student’s goals and risk tolerance, then design trips that maximize benefits while minimizing risk.

Consistently Exceptional Programs

Your students deserve the best, every single time. We meticulously plan each detail so that your program provides meaningful life experiences and lasting results.

Inspiring Leadership & Positive Role Models

Our professional guides are experienced outdoor educators who inspire students through their expertise, enthusiasm, and commitment to healthy, active lifestyles. Your students will learn with caring mentors who are passionate about the wilderness and skilled at facilitating incredible experiences with youth.

Industry-Leading Instructor Standards

Boreal River’s training standards set the bar for outdoor education and adventure travel. Our team brings decades of combined experience leading experiential education programs and guiding wilderness trips in Canada and internationally. All guides are certified as Wilderness First Responders (80-hour advanced medical training) and Whitewater Rescue Technicians Level III. Many are instructors in those disciplines with our sister company, Boreal River Rescue.

Positive Experiences with Whitewater and Wilderness Camping

Whether your students are first-timers or experienced paddlers, your expert guides will tailor the challenge to each individual. Your guides’ judgment and skill, honed through years of training on rivers worldwide and our internal culture of continuous learning, ensures that we can deliver on our overall goal of helping each participant gain confidence and create positive associations with the river and with wilderness camping.

  • 5:1 participant-to-guide ratio maximum on whitewater, including a dedicated safety kayaker on every trip
  • 6:1 participant-to-guide ratio maximum at all times while camping and throughout any off-river activities throughout the trip
  • Highly experienced team: At minimum two of the guides on each trip have 10+ seasons of whitewater experience (most have 15+ seasons)
  • Safety equipment: AED, extensive first aid kits, and two satellite communication devices on every expedition
  • Emergency protocols: We have comprehensive safety and evacuation procedures that our team practices regularly

What’s Included?

Instruction & Certification

The following certifications and skill workshops are included within the program. Upon successful completion, each student will receive the following certificates:

  • Whitewater Safety (Level I)
  • Wilderness Skills & Safety (Level I)

Guided Rafting, Whitewater Instruction & Camping

  • Fully guided 5-day / 4-night or 6-day / 5-night expedition
  • Guided activities: rafting, kayarafting (inflatable kayaks), riverboarding, hiking, whitewater safety instruction and swimming, backcountry skills

Meals & Lodging

  • Lodging for 4 nights at our private wilderness campsite, The Ottawa Rivercamp
  • For the 6-day trip: lodging for 1 night at our retreat centre, Ciel et Bois, in Cantley, QC
  • All meals and snacks from Day 1 lunch to the last day’s lunch
  • Incredible food sourced from local farms
  • We take pride in accommodating each participant’s dietary needs — and making it great!

Equipment

  • All group gear: kitchen, shelters, chairs, water systems, tools
  • All river gear: rafts, inflatable kayaks, riverboards, paddles, accessories, etc.
  • All safety gear: AED, first aid kits, satellite devices, river rescue gear
  • Personal gear provided: wetsuit, large expedition drybag, helmet, PFD

What’s Not Included?

  • Return transport to our meeting location, L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet, Québec
  • Tents and inflatable camping mattresses — available to rent from us for $15 per person, per camping night
  • Sleeping bags
  • Optional: Quebec fishing permit

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