Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Simpson - James Matto has some experience offering guiding services.

Matto has guided military groups on the land and also taken groups of students on hunts. Even with all his experience Matto knew there was more to learn about guiding so he headed back to the classroom.

Tia Gargan cooks supper over a camp stove during a trip for the Guide Level 1 course to Axe Point. - photo courtesy of Tammy Gargan

Matto was one of 10 participants in a Guide Level 1 course that was offered in Fort Providence Sept. 5-19.

"I thought this would be good for me," said Matto about why he signed up for the course.

Participants were led through the basics of guiding by instructor Clayton Burke.

The course included five days in the classroom, a five-day trip on the land to Axe Point and a final five days in class.

Classroom topics covered everything from guests and what they want from a guided trip to first aid training. During their first week of classes participants also prepared everything they'd need for their trip to Axe Point.

Going through the motions of making menus, grocery lists and shopping was important, especially for some of the younger male participants, who probably don't do that regularly, said Burke.

Students also learned the importance of making sure everything that is needed for a trip gets packed.

"There is no room for assumption," said Burke

Once on the land, students learned about boat handling skills, camp cooking and running a safe camp.

"The group is very enthusiastic," Burke said.

The course was a good experience, said Tammy Gargan, one of the participants.

With no previous guiding experience, Gargan said she signed up for the lessons to decide if this is an area she's interested in.

Gargan said she's learned a lot in the course including how to drive a boat, something she'd never done before.

The guide courses are valuable to a community because they allow people to get into the industry, said Burke. Tourism can be an important industry in the North especially in places like Fort Providence that have so much to offer, he said.

"There's no community with any more potential than this one," Burke said.

Tourism is also important because it's the purest form of community development - it doesn't require people to change, Burke said. The Guide Development program complements this idea.

The main thrust of the program is to build on participants' existing land skills. The program encourages people to keep their traditional knowledge and language, said Burke.

"Many people coming into the North want to see what the real North's about," he said.

This course was offered through a partnership with Aurora College and the Deh Gah Got'ie Koe First Nation. Plans are in the works to offer the Level 2 Big Game Hunting course in November.