The day begins with a hearty continental breakfast. Then it’s back to our rooms to collect our luggage, before meeting up at 8:30 a.m. in the hotel lobby where Audréanne, Brandon, Alicia and Anoushka join us before we set off for Gatineau—our lunch stop.
The journey begins with a call and response song initiated by Simon. It’s about a grandmother who’s in the army, in the tank department to be precise. She makes excellent pies. When war breaks out, she decides to bake pies by the ton and launch them at the enemy, and that’s how they win the war.
Hanging out side-by-side on the ride allows the participants to get to know each other better, create bonds, talk about where they’re from and share their stories. Hari soon starts dishing out dares to the other passengers on the bus. Eat a whole clementine in one bite, hold your breath for as long as possible, hold an “ahhhhh”-like note for as long as possible. A lot of laughs are underway, as is a touch of competitiveness.
Once we arrive in Gatineau, we stop at Rôtisserie Saint-Hubert for lunch. It’s at this point that we welcome the last participant, Seth, who has made the trip with his mother from Beachburg, Ontario. Back in the minibus, Catherine suggests that we all take advantage of the last hour of the drive to rest up before arriving at the camp where we’ll spend our first official night of the expedition.
On site, the whole group is finally reunited. We gather in a circle to take turns introducing ourselves in popcorn mode: name, where we’re from and something about ourselves. Toothbrush colours are even named a few times!
We go through some technical details that will be essential to the smooth running of our first outing on the water and useful for our entire paddling journey on the Poisson Blanc reservoir. This first outing sets the stage for a first moment of silence, of introspection on the water, facing the sun, on a perfectly calm lake. We can hear the loons welcoming us, accompanied by a symphony of crickets. The warm weather gives us the impression that summer is still in full swing.
The return to the riverbank gives way to a few quick swims before supper, prepared for us by the cooks at Camp Air-Eau-Bois.
Back at our cabin, we settle down together to relax. Julien and Catherine go over the main objectives of a getaway expedition: to escape from the everyday and to break free from isolation by offering participants a “safe space” where they can feel free to express themselves. Together, we establish the group’s common goals, rules and values, all of which will guide us along our expedition.
All in all, it was a pretty big day. Traveling, getting to know each other, sharing, learning . . . Let’s just say that no one had to be begged to go to bed. 😉
Well, good night and see you tomorrow for our first full day on the water!
Laurence Yelle, Volunteer photographer-blogger for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation
Translate by Anna Tomczyk
In pictures
