The View From Here
A canoe guide shares her thoughts on a summer guiding at Voyageur Quest
The first thing I think of when I think of Voyageur Quest ( VQ) is the community, and this summer we had a pretty awesome one. I spent the summer months between guiding in the park and guiding at the Algonquin log cabin and I couldn’t have asked to work with better people on both sides. Not only did we support each other’s strong work ethics, but we also knew the job wasn’t finished until everyone was; that asking for help wasn’t a weakness but trust in another staff; that days off were meant to be silly and we could share them with one another; and that a cold drink at the end of a long day with the crew didn’t need a single word to describe the contentment we felt with life in the Ontario north and with one another. I feel honored to call this summer’s VQ team not only my staff mates but my friends and my community.
There were more than a few days this summer that were long and drawn out into the night as a few of us who were around the outfitters prepped for the following day’s trips, even those of us who weren’t going out. I can remember the exhaustion in building #3, where we do our pack outs, but I can also remember the laughter and singing (yes horrible, horrible singing) that came from those nights. Those are the nights that made us the amazing team we were and those are the times that bonded us. It’s easy to get along with one another when you have a cold beer and a sunny day, but to be dirty and tired and hungry and at your wits end from a long stint out and to find individuals who have your back during those times, now that is invaluable. Those times are the glue that hold a summer together and the cold beers on the sunny days are that much more enjoyable because you’ve gotten to that place together. Through the sun and rain and 7 degree temperatures of August, this is what it meant to me to be VQ staff.
By Katherine Scott, September 2014