Those in attendance at the River Ridge Fish and Game League annual banquet and awards night on March 2 were treated to a presentation by Kailey Sleeva, a Grade 8 student at CCS (Canora Composite School) who attended the Youth Conservation Camp at the Hannin Creek Educational Facility at Candle Lake last summer.
“I would like to give a huge thank you to River Ridge for sponsoring me,” said Sleeva. “From July 15 to 22 I learned a variety of skills and participated in many activities.”
She said she applied for the camp mainly due to her enjoyment of hunting, fishing and the outdoors.
“I thought this would be a great experience to increase my knowledge and skills in wildlife,” Sleeva explained. “I also thought this would be a great experience to be pushed out of my comfort zone.”
“We learned how to canoe and tie knots. We did archery, axe throwing, rifle shooting and whittling. We learned how to identify different bugs and different aspects of nature
by experiencing many hikes.
“Did you know a person can tell if it’s an aspen tree by rubbing it? If a white fine powder is on your fingers after you rub the tree, then it is an aspen tree. You can also use that white
powder as a natural sunscreen.
“We learned how to start our own fires by using flint and steel. We learned how to gather bark
shavings along with old mans beard, which is a lichen that is the best for starting fires.
“One day we even took a hike to where the old fire tower used to be. We learned about the fire tower and experienced the amazing view as there were evergreens for miles.”
Sleeva said the local conservation officer explained the position to campers, including the training and schooling involved.
“They also talked to us about survival skills and different ways we can conserve the land.”
Trappers from Melville stopped by to teach Sleeva and the other participants about their work.
“They brought their traps along and demonstrated which ones are used for which animals and how they work.
“They brought their furs and taught us about the different animals they trap, and even taught
us how to skin a bear.
“Our camp director got special permission to utilize a bear that was shot early in the spring by the local conservation officer and frozen until our camp. They taught us the proper way to skin the bear as if we wanted to keep the bear’s hide. Once they showed us we got to do the work and
experience how to skin the bear ourselves.”
At the end of the week, the group went on a camping trip and canoed to the junction where Hannin Creek meets Candle Lake to set up camp
“We had an area for the tents and an area for our food and our fire. We set up a volleyball net at the lake,” said Sleeva. “We spent the afternoon having a big volleyball tournament. Later in
the evening we took out the boats and went fishing. In my boat we caught a total of five pike, which made us the winning boat for the night with the most fish caught. When we got back to the camp site, we filleted the fish we caught and the we cooked a big fish fry for everyone in the morning.”
Sleeva said the campers were fed very well, but the highlight of the trip for her was getting to know the other campers.
“Right when we got to camp we made name tags and played a whole bunch of icebreaker games so everyone could get to know each other,” she recalled. “By the end of that night I had many new friends, especially with my five bunk mates.
“One girl brought her ukulele. In the morning before breakfast we would all gather around the fire pit and sing songs. Whenever we had down time we always played some kind of game, mostly horseshoes or ladder ball.”
A total of 64 girls initially applied for the camping experience, and Sleeva was among 24 who were selected.
“That is why I'm so honoured to have been chosen. Last summer I had the best experience ever,” she declared. “I learned a whole bunch and experienced many things that I never would have thought I would do. I made many memories that will last forever and made many friends that will be lifelong friends. So again I would like to thank River Ridge for giving me the opportunity that I will never forget.”
Sleeva strongly encourages young people around her age to seriously consider applying to go to the Youth Conservation Camp, especially those who like hunting, fishing and the outdoors.
“This is a camp you would enjoy. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge and learning many skills and tips, I would highly recommend this camp. It’s filled with a variety of activities that relate to nature. And it’s not only great for improving skills and knowledge but also for making new friends,” she concluded.
