This three-part series highlights the 2015 Wilderness School expeditions, as youth take on kayaking, weather and a solo experience. Spanning from five hours in year one, eight hours in year two to overnight in year three, solos with Power To Be provide a space for youth to test their independence and outdoor skills while developing a comfort in nature and with themselves.

This three-part series highlights the 2015 Wilderness School expeditions, as youth take on kayaking, weather and a solo experience. Spanning from five hours in year one, eight hours in year two to overnight in year three, solos with Power To Be provide a space for youth to test their independence and outdoor skills while developing a comfort in nature and with themselves. 

You can’t help but shift your perspective when you find yourself up in a tree canopy. High in the trees, challenges change and possibilities open. A place that is often unreachable becomes an open playground thanks to WildPlay Element Parks and Power To Be.

One great idea, four plus hours of hiking with a TrailRider and nine amazing people combined to make an unforgettable weekend on Mystic Beach.

A perfect day on the links was a record-breaking success for Power To Golf, in support of Power To Be. The ninth annual tournament brought out notable leaders from Victoria and Vancouver’s business and sports communities. Together they raised $261,000 for Power To Be’s accessible outdoor recreation programs.

Access to our great outdoors is abundant in the beautiful landscape that surrounds us and thanks to a new piece of equipment Power To Be can help participants explore even further.

The reflection of sun on water catches my eye, distracting me from the sneaky ambush headed my way. I spin my head around and I’m immediately drenched with a spray of water from the splash of a paddle as laughter echoes across the lake.

Surrounded by more than 1,000 people at the No Barriers Summit, Program Manager Carinna Kenigsberg couldn’t help but think of the feeling she gets from being on program with Power To Be.

Brought together by a common thread, their journey had begun many years ago. They are survivors and Power to Be was lucky enough to organize a trip for eight amazing youth through the Teen Adventures – A Spirit Quest program supported by Balding for Dollars and the Oncology/Hematology/BMT Program at BC Children’s Hospital.

On a sunny weekend in July, a group of Adaptive Recreation staff and participants from Victoria and  Vancouver made the trip to Salt Spring Island to go camping.

On the climbing wall, goals are tangible. Every handhold is a mark of success and every session an opportunity for participants to reach a little higher.

Victoria-based volunteers came together for Power To Be’s first volunteer overnight training. Volunteer trainings are a common practice at Power To Be, although training with an overnight component was something new this year.

Participants, community partners, supporters and volunteers gathered to celebrate Power To Be’s move to North Vancouver. The open house showcased inclusive nature-based program opportunities available in the community.

Power To Be’s Wilderness School helped bring out the best in Shaheen Rabie, and since graduating from the program, the 17-year-old has committed his time and energy to helping other youth in the community build confidence and connection through adventures in nature. His efforts have garnered him a United Way Youth Now Volunteer Award.

Through mud, water and 10 kilometres of trails, 33 teams from Victoria’s business community took over Elk/Beaver Lake Park May 24 for Power To Play. This year’s adventure race raised a record $182,500 in support of Power To Be’s programs.

Shiloh approached the edge of the cliff and threw the stone she carried up the mountain. Crashing down amongst the trees hundreds of feet below her, the rock held all that was weighing on her mind. “I put all of my anger and frustrations into it. When I threw the rock, it released a lot of stress,” Shiloh says.

Just north of the world famous West Coast Trail lays the relatively unknown Cape Beale Trail. Historically it was part of the same telegraph line and lifesaving trail that set the foundation for the West Coast Trail. The Cape Beale Trail, however, although much shorter in distance, provides its own challenges with infrequent maintenance and deep mud.  

Every once in a while we get an opportunity to show a small token of our appreciation to our generous supporters. Thanks to the great team at Long Beach Lodge Resort, we hosted a weekend getaway in Tofino for last year’s top fundraising teams from Power To Play Vancouver, a corporate adventure race in support of Power To Be. 

From water rescues to how to light a fire, program staff’s five-day trip to Strathcona Provincial Park encompassed multiple training scenarios and workshops. It was a chance for staff to review best practices in the outdoors to enhance Power To Be program experiences. 

Sitting on the beach, with the ocean in front of her and kind people around her, Jasmine Parr’s perspective shifted. It was her first day as a participant with Power To Be Adventure Therapy, and looking back, it is clear to her that her collective experience with the organization served as the catalyst she needed to get back into nature and back into her community.