The Best Adventure Destination to Relax and Reconnect in Ontario
Doug Cole last spent an extended period paddling a canoe when he attended summer camp as a child. When his wife told him about a friend whose two sons, Nico and Leo de Ruiter, had purchased a former summer camp in Ontario to facilitate canoe expeditions, he was intrigued.
“The more we learned about Temagami Outpost, the more interested we became,” the Toronto resident says. “We made the decision to take our two teenage daughters and explore as a family. We also invited Parisian friends who also had two girls. They’d never canoed before but were very appreciative we’d invited them to experience something so quintessentially Canadian.”
Cole, a sales executive at LinkedIn, says he found the journey profound.
“We’d done a bunch of camping, so I thought I knew what it would be like,” he says. “But you remain tethered to the outside world on those trips. You think you’re relaxing because you’re not powering through emails all day, but you aren’t really taking a break. I was unprepared for how liberating it would feel to be completely disconnected for three days.”
A frequent business lecturer, Cole observed the changes in his, his family’s and his friends’ behavior over the three-day paddling expedition, beginning with the bold and, he says, surprising decision to leave his phone at the Outpost. It was his first twenty-four-hour period without a phone in well over a decade. Yet sequestering his phone was only the beginning.
“I remember the first night when we were sitting around the fire. The conversation was slow and sluggish, not due to fatigue, I suspect, but because we were all processing the remnants of our digital lives.”
Cole also observed something else in the air: oxygen.
“We were working nonstop, portaging, paddling, setting up and tearing down camp, yet because this effort is so far removed from your daily activity, it’s quite relaxing. You feel reenergized in this richly oxygenated environment; you feel more alive.”
Cole says the group’s interactions gathered momentum.
“By the second day, there was a different energy around the fire; we embraced where we were and how good it felt to be truly off the grid. We became more social, playing charades and other analog games. It was a restorative way of being.”
Cole notes the combination of closer connections and rejuvenation was paradoxical in many ways.
“You are getting less sleep in that environment, sleeping in fits and starts on a harder surface that should sap your energy. Yet because of being unplugged in this beautiful and pristine atmosphere, you wake each morning invigorated and ready to push on. I found it very relaxing to be paddling. You are exerting energy and strength, but very rhythmically, like chopping wood. There’s this reassuring cadence; the paddle dipping into the water repeatedly.”
He was not alone in his appreciation.
“My 18- and 19-year-old daughters clearly loved it. They were unexpectedly interested in the working part of our voyage, hauling large backpacks, waterproof barrels and portaging canoes.”
This interdependency also made an impression at the Outpost, where guests spend the night before and after an excursion.
“Temagami Outpost, located in a serene location, conveys a tremendous communal vibe. This spirit really hits you when you sit down for dinner. When you’re sharing from the same salad bowl and plate of meat, you’re always familiar with being part of the group.”
He applauds the brothers and staff for their dedication to the Outpost.
“They have all been through the same coming-of-age moment, the 50-day canoe excursion, an experience that cemented their bonds and shaped their worldview, a perspective they’re thrilled to share with the rest of us. What they’re doing here is clearly a labor of love, renovating and improving the rustic but warm and comfortable facilities week by week.”
Cole hopes the expedition’s sense of release will permeate everyday life back in Toronto.
“My daughters commented on what a relief it was to be unplugged. One daughter felt sad turning her phone back on because it meant she was leaving the wilderness behind. We must remain mindful of how important these moments of restoration can be. I highly encourage people to reacquaint with nature. It’s good for the soul.”
Not surprisingly, Cole didn’t hesitate when asked if he planned to return to Temagami Outpost.
“Absolutely. As soon as next summer.”
This article was sponsored by Temagami Outpost
Temagami Outpost is an off-grid outfitter and lodge located in the Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park. Situated on Lake Maskinonge, Temagami Outpost provides everything you need for your next canoe trip or northern getaway. Book your stay here.
