Blue Fox Youth Wilderness Retreat

The vision for the Blue Fox Youth Wilderness Retreat is to turn a rustic fly-in fishing resort in Northern Ontario into an off grid eco-retreat - accessible only by bush plane or a two day camping trek - that also acts as a youth-led social enterprise which thrives at the intersection of social innovation, social justice, eco-tourism, community development, sustainable living, community arts, environmental conservation and scientific research. Amidst crystal clear lakes and vast tracts of crown land, this wilderness refuge will provide accommodation and co-teaching experiences in the areas of community arts, aboriginal teachings, and land-based environmental learning for underserved youth from rural and urban communities. The Centre will also act as a base for environmental conservation research in partnership with academic institutions throughout the province. The venture will provide training, skill development and employment opportunities that see participants return as employees in various roles such as cooks, mechanics, researchers, and program leaders. This social and academic work will be supported in the spring and fall seasons by revenue generating activities in other months involving eco-tourism, adventure tourism, yoga and meditation retreats, and conservation fishing.