This web site is copyright Girlguiding Jersey Registered Charity No: 155
Islands of Girlguiding South West England
Our party was made up of 16 girls and 4 Leaders from South West Region. The trip started with the party flying from Heathrow to New York where we spent two nights. During our time in the city we visited the Empire State building, saw the Statue of Liberty and ate lunch in Central park. From New York we flew to Winnipeg where we had 2 days before the camp started. During this time we met up with a local Ranger group and visited the local zoo with them,we also spent some time exploring the town.
Keystone Quest camp was based at Caddy Lake in Winnipeg and it was amazing.
As well as guides from Canada there were also guides from New Zealand and Wales. On weekdays we would be woken up at 6am, and on Sundays we had a lie-in until 8am. We enjoyed water fun afternoons, rock climbing, arts and crafts,and day trips to local places of interest.
I also gained part of my Duke of Edinburgh award by cycling 110km as part of an overnight expedition. During the camp we had a talk on what to do if you encountered a bear, which was a bit scary as we were told to never turn your back on one, hold something above your head so that it makes you look taller and talk to the bear.
When taking part on the overnight cycling expedition we visited several toilets along the highway which all had bear locks on them. From this we realised that bears were not “uncommon”. The wildlife in the camp was spectacular, we had a Chipmunk run into our tent and a deer and her fawn were some three metres away from us at one point, and seeing a special blue heron was quite magical. The mosquitoes in the camp seemed to prefer the British girls as even with strong repellent and a mosquito net I still managed to leave camp with around 120 mosquito bites!
The Canadians were great fun with their out-going personalities and their open minds to make new friends. I am still in contact with girls from Canada and England that I met at the camp. On our way home from camp we flew to Toronto where we spent a couple of days sight seeing. We visited the CNN Tower and also went on a trip to Niagara Falls where we went on the Maid of the Mist.
I have gained so much from this amazing trip and hope that other Guides in Jersey will take up the opportunity of going on an International trip.
Emily Marie
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Photos of the trip