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Water fights and leadership building Twenty junior high students paddle South Nahanni River
Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, July 4, 2013
NAHANNI NATIONAL PARK RESERVE
Water proved to be both a method of travel and the reason for some of the best experiences had by 20 students in the Nahanni National Park Reserve during a recent school trip.
William Alger, centre, takes a turn at the oars while guide Emily Cole, left, watches and fellow students Damaris Williams-Guinn and Jordanna Snider talk with teacher Steve Nicoll during Thomas Simpson School's junior high rafting trip on the South Nahanni River in the Nahanni National Park Reserve. - photo courtesy of Martha Drake
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The students, along with two teachers and five guides, spent June 13 to 20 rafting on the South Nahanni River from the base of Virginia Falls to Nahanni Butte. The trip was organized by Thomas Simpson School for junior high students.
The trip is based in local culture because many of the students' families traditionally travelled and hunted in the area, said Steven Nicoll, who supervised the trip along with fellow teacher Martha Drake.
"It was non-stop fun," he said.
For Nathaniel Tsetso, 13, the best part of the trip was the frequent water fights that broke out between the five rafts. Buckets were used to splash people in other rafts, and during the safe sections of the river, students were often tossed out, directly into the cold water.
The final day of the trip was the best because lots of participants were thrown out of the rafts, he said.
"Everyone went in," said Tsetso.
The trip was the first time Tsetso, who just finished Grade 8, had been in the park or on a rafting trip. Tsetso described the experience as "awesome."
The trip was also enjoyable for Charles Blondin, 15.
"Seeing an ecosystem before human intervention is amazing," he said.
Blondin said he was struck by the park's isolated nature, where there are no unnatural disturbances such as pipelines. Learning about different aspects of the park, such as geology and the names of the mountains, from the guides is something Blondin also liked.
"I enjoyed the overall experience," he said.
Blondin, who just finished Grade 9, said he would definitely recommend the
trip to other students.
There was a very positive spirit during the trip and a sense of camaraderie between the students, said Nicoll. The students were encouraged to take leadership roles as much as possible and to make leadership decisions.
The students were divided into two groups and the groups switched between being responsible for cooking, washing dishes, preparing the fire, and other miscellaneous duties. All of the students shared in setting up the camp sites and loading and unloading the rafts. They were also expected to help paddle the rafts during dangerous or slow sections of the river.
As a special part of the trip, a promotion ceremony for the members of the 2860 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in attendance was held at the top of The Gate, one of the landmarks along the river.
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