Toronto Urban Wild
3-Week High School Credit

Week 1 – Hiking  

Put your hiking skills into practice on the trails of Don Valley Brick Works Park and Rouge National Urban Park: Home to amazing biodiversity and Canada’s only urban national park. You’ll learn how to pack your backpack, choose the right hiking gear, and build your physical and mental fitness as you explore the city on foot.

Week 2 – Canoeing 

Focus on your flatwater canoeing skills on Lake Ontario and explore Ashbridges Bay, the Humber and Rouge Rivers, as well as Toronto’s harbourfront and the famous Toronto Islands: a chain of 15 islands with scenic views of the city skyline. Get a solid introduction or improve your paddling and stroke techniques and expand your knowledge of canoeing equipment and techniques. Enjoy a view of the dynamic metropolis from the water – a whole new perspective!

Week 3 – Climbing  

Reach new heights by exploring the high ropes course at Don Valley Brick Works Park and climbing at Rattlesnake Point on the Niagara Escarpment. Explore and improve your physical and mental skills, familiarize yourself with climbing equipment, and learn safety and techniques with your new peers in the beautiful urban wilderness.

And that’s not all: Every Wednesday night there’s an optional overnight as an introduction to camping! In week 1 you’ll camp at Don Valley Brick Works Park, in week 2 at the Toronto Islands and in week 3 at Rattlesnake Point.

Learning outcomes

Our expert instructors will guide you through unique challenges that require your group to work together to solve problems, reflect on what you’ve learned, and discuss how you can apply your skills and what you’ve learned to life. The course is designed to have a lasting and measurable impact in three key areas:

• Improved resilience – Improve your mental and physical health while learning how to overcome challenges to succeed.
• Improved leadership and teamwork skills – Learn the skills you need to succeed in school, work and life by becoming more confident, cooperative and a respectful team member.
• Stronger connection to nature – Develop a lifelong relationship with nature.

About Don Valley Brick Works Park

For a century, Don Valley Brick Works Park was the site of a major brick manufacturer and supplier of buildings throughout Toronto. That changed in 1989 when the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) acquired the site and began restoration work with the City of Toronto in 1995. This involved creating a series of wetlands that provide habitat for aquatic plants and wildlife, and channeling water from nearby Mud Creek through the wetland to filter it naturally before it flows into the Don River and eventually Lake Ontario.

Today, the 200-hectares of wetlands, dry wildflower meadows and forest plant communities create a variety of ecosystem types that provide the ideal setting for Outward Bound Canada’s urban programs, where participants can hike the many nature trails, paddle the Don River and perfect their outdoor skills surrounded by nature in this special area – all within 10 minutes of downtown Toronto and accessible by car, public transit, foot or bike.

Is this course right for me?

This course is for students in grades 9-12 and considered level 1 for social-emotional difficulty and level 1 for physical difficulty.
Learn more about the levels of difficulty.

Solo

Each Outward Bound Canada course includes a solo experience as an opportunity for self-reflection. In this course, the solo experience consists of a meal or a solo-sit at the end of each week where participants have the opportunity to be by themselves in a beautiful natural setting. Instructors are nearby to provide support as needed.

Financial assistance

We believe everyone should have access to exploring nature. We offer full scholarships to help cover the cost of course fees, and the Youth Access Fund offers financial support for those unable to finance their Outward Bound Canada experience personally. Please visit the Financial Assistance page for more information and to apply.