Our Mission

Supporting community wellness by using canoeing and outdoor recreation to connect Indigenous youth to cultural skills and identities. 

Our Vision

Improved health and wellness for Indigenous youth, empowered and connected to identity, culture, language, and land.

Our Purpose

The purpose of all Waterways Recreation Inc. is to engage participants (Indigenous peoples) in holistic wellness through canoeing programs that are culturally relevant, safe, and affirming of their identities and relationships to their communities. Waterways Recreation Inc. is an organization dedicated to improving the health and wellness of Indigenous peoples and all of our activities are designed in partnership with communities.

Our History

Waterways Recreation was created by a confluence of two groups: James & Mo who, as Indigenous paddlers and competitors, knew there was a need for more programs to get Indigenous youth involved in paddling; and Tristan & Sam who had started an outfitting company and were being asked by the communities they visited for more opportunities for the youth. They recruited Denis who came to the table with decades of management skills and together formed Waterways Recreation Inc. in 2020. 

The idea of Waterways was borne from a way to give back to the paddling community that had given them all so many opportunities, but also use the sport to support wellness and youth leadership opportunities within the many Indigenous communities who have extensive experiences, knowledges and histories with paddling. Waterways supports youth to retain, connect and engage with Indigenous community knowledges, languages and skills through paddling and leadership development. 

As Waterways enters our second year of operations, we know this is a great opportunity to set goals and envision the future we wish to achieve