Twelve youths from across Canada, two of them from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area, will take part in an expedition from March 3 to 11, with the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation.
With a Cree guide, the twelve youths will travel more than 600 kilometres on snowmobiles to the mythical Rupert River in Northern Quebec, to rendezvous with caribous. They’ll trade civilization for the nomadic life as they discover new trails each day. Each evening, they will stop in various types of lodgings (inns, camps, prospector’s tents) to enjoy a hearty meal around a wood stove. During the expedition, a Cree family will host them, and they will share in the traditions of this wonderful and rich culture.
The adventurers will experience special moments, strong emotions, and surprises during this wonderful adventure. “These expeditions allow the participants to escape their hospital surroundings to share with other youths victims of cancer who face the same difficulties they do”, says Héléna Longpré, the Foundation’s Operations Manager.
Under the supervision of medical and outdoor experts, the youths come from various Canadian cancer centers, such as the Centre de Santé et de services sociaux de Chicoutimi, Sainte-Justine’s Hospital, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the IWK Health Center (Maritimes), the CHEO (Ontario), Calgary Health Region (Alberta), and The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto).