Our mission

Connect. Transform. Propel
To change the lives of young people aged 14 to 39 who are living with cancer by offering them an opportunity to participate in a therapeutic adventure expedition.

Our vision

That young living with cancer be inspired to overcome that which seems impossible.

A quarter-century of therapeutic adventures

For the benefit of thousands of young people, their their parents and loved ones…

1996
1999
2000
2001
2004
2005
2006
2009
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

1996

The very first therapeutic adventure expedition in Canada for young people with cancer, dog sledding on Monts-Groulx (Qc)

1999

L’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) provides a space, furniture and office equipment. The General Secretariat of UQAC collaborates in the drafting of the founding charter of the foundation.

2000

  • Obtaining the Foundation’s articles of incorporation
  • Fifth On the Tip of the Toes Foundation expedition, the first outside Quebec: hiking On Ellesmere Island (Nunavut)

2001

  • Moving into our own offices
  • The documentary «Souris Marie, la vie est belle» is broadcast on Radio-Canada and «Larger than Life» on CBC
  • First edition of the Marie-Hélène Côté Shave-o-Thon
  • Reunion of past participants’ for the 5th anniversary of the Foundation

2004

  • New logo and first Website
  • Publication of a first scientific study (Stevens et al.) describing the Experience of young participants In our expeditions

2005

First edition of the event «Modamitié», which will become «Celebrate Life» in 2007

2006

  • Reunion of former participants highlighting the 10th anniversary of Foundation
  • Broadcasting of documentary «Chute libre» on Radio-Canada

2009

First edition of Double Défi des 2 Mario

2012

Pilot-project expedition with young people having had a transplant followed by hematology/oncology treatments

2013

First expedition with a group of young adults (19-29 y/o)

2014

First Getaway expedition with young people undergoing treatment

2015

  • Cancerology Award, given by Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec
  • Excellence Award – Quality and services, given by the regroupement Aventure Écotourisme Québec

2016

  • «Coup de cœur» Award, attributed by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie du fjord
  • Presentation of the results of a scientific study (Paquette et al.) on the psycho-social impact of our expeditions
  • New corporate look, new logo and new website
  • The event «Celebrate Life» reaches milestone of 3 million dollars

2017

  • 2 millions dollars collected thanks to the Rase-O-Thon Marie-Hélène Côté!
  • 50th expedition by the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation!

2018

  • One million dollar in ten year for the Double défi des deux Mario
  • Running pilot project on lake St-Jean

2019

First edition of a new fundraising event: the CRYO races

  • 20th anniversary of the Rase-O-Thon Marie-Hélène Côté
  • Elaboration of alternative virtual projects, a noteworthy innovation in the pandemic context
  • Innover en temps de crise / Coup de cœur du jury Award, attributed by Aventure Écotourisme Québec

2021

25th anniversary of the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation!

Broadcasting of documentary «La vie devant moi» on Radio-Canada

Pilot projects with families, young adults 30-39 y/o, and young women affected by a metastatic breath cancer

2022

Oncology Award, delivered by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec

2023

First Getaway Expedition with young adults aged 30-39

Fifteenth edition of the Double Challenge of the two Marios

Fifth edition of the CRYO races

values

Our values

  • Humanism
  • Commitment
  • Professionalism

The origin of an extraordinary organization

In the winter of 1996, Dr. Sylvain Baruchel, a pediatric oncologist working in Montreal and Toronto, saw one of his young patients die. At the end of that tiring day of work he went home in a winter storm, heartbroken. Along the way, he wondered what he could do so his other young patients might remain hopeful in their healing process.

He then had the idea to offer the possibility of an extraordinary challenge, an experience from which they could grow and be inspired. He contacted François Guillot, an adventure tourism expert, and asked him to organize a dog sledding expedition for young people living with cancer.

Guillot engaged the services of Mario Bilodeau, himself a cancer survivor and Professor in the Department of Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Tourism at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, QC whose research focused on adventure activities with special populations. The first therapeutic expedition adventure took place a few months later in the Monts-Groulx range. From this first project a foundation was established by Dr. Sylvain Baruchel, Mario Bilodeau and François Guillot with the invaluable collaboration of François Veillet and Annick Dufresne. Over the past 20 years, over 60 expeditions have been organized for the benefit of hundreds of young people affected by cancer, the parents who support them and thousands of people around them.

The origin of a name… based on a true story…

A young boy was attending a talk given by a well-known explorer.

At the end of the presentation, the fascinated boy approached the speaker, gave him an inquisitive look and whispered, “I’d like to become an explorer like you. When you were a child, did you know that you would become an explorer? How did all this begin?”. The explorer, with his weather-worn face, smiled. He leaned towards his young inquisitor, took his face in his hands and said: “When I was your age, I would often look out the window, standing on tiptoe so that I could see beyond the horizon. That’s how I became an explorer.”