Lakehead University - Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism

It’s that time of summer again when senior Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism students embark on their Field Explorations II courses, which involve going on an extended backcountry expedition that they planned for a semester earlier this year. The wildfires this summer required some adjustments to their plans, but everyone is excited for their new routes. Bon voyage!!!

Did you see this month’s issue of the Walleye? If you’re into mountain biking there are some interesting articles in there to get you excited to be in Thunder Bay this fall. As you’re checking out the table of contents, you may see some familiar ORPT scenes!

August 2026 Riding a bike comes with a lot of built-in benefits: confidence, independence, a fun lifelong pastime that works equally well solo or with friends. Add mountain biking’s challenging terrain and gorgeous surroundings to the mix and you’ve got those benefits to a power of 10, with an extra dose of...

We got mail! Last year Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism students in OUTD 4813: Marine and Coastal Protected Areas wrote to three federal ministers to encourage Canada to take the lead in proposing new marine protected areas in the high seas now the Canada has signed the international Agreement to protect Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). Honourable Minister of Fisheries, Joanne Thompson wrote us back!
Here's her letter.
To find out more about about the BBNJ Agreement, visit: https://www.un.org/bbnjagreement/en

We are so fortunate to have Ray as part of our Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism instructional team!
Way to go Rayanna!

We had a great two weeks in this year's Spring Whitewater course at Lakehead University! Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism students earned certifications in whitewater rescue from Boreal River Rescue and tandem moving water canoeing from Paddle Canada. We spent time paddling rafts, canoes, kayaks, and inflatable kayaks on the Dog River, Matawin River, Shebandowan River, and the Current River.

Join us in congratulating the Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism Class of ‘26, who will be crossing the stage today at Lakehead University’s convocation ceremony!
We’re so proud of every one of you and honoured to have had you in our classes! Wishing you all our very best.

Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism grads, did you get your Spring issue of Lakehead University Alumni's e-zine? Its so nice to see ORPT alumnus Glendon Tremblay's business, Cusheon Lake Resort featured!

Last week Lakehead University students in "Social Justice and Equity in Outdoor Recreation" travelled to Kay Nah Chi Wah Nung (Manitou Mounds) historic site on Treaty 3 territory. While visiting the historic site, students learned from community members including elders, knowledge holders, and Rainy River First Nations Chief Jim Leonard.

The students camped on site at Kay Nah Chi Wah Nung, got a tour of the interpretive centre/museum, hiked the trails to see burial mounds--some of which are 8000 years old. They met and held name (Anishinaabemowin for sturgeon) who spawn in the river, learned star teachings, and learned from elder Brian Perrault and CEO Angie Mose about the successes of Agency One’s land back initiative to reclaim Point Park in Fort Frances. The students and staff culminated their week of learning by giving back to the community at the annual Manitou Rapids Fish Fry.

This unique course was jointly offered by the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law and the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism with students from the faculty of law, ORPT, Indigenous Learning, and the Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies.

Miigwetch to everyone who helped support our students and their learning in the field, especially knowledge holder Art Hunter, Chief Jim Leonard, Jessie, and Shauna from KNCWN.

Last semester students in second year created their very own "Cooking for Connection" program where they taught folks to cook outdoors on WhisperLite stoves! They created this fantastic program as their final assignment for the Programming course. We are so proud to have students who seek to share their knowledge and create connection in our program! 🥘🥬🍽️

Happy Earth Day!
Have you ever considered the impact of the materials in your outdoor recreation apparel and equipment? Lakehead University's Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism students spent a semester learning about the impacts of the materials in our outdoor gear. One of their major projects was to re-purpose broken gear and give it a new life or create an item for the outdoors from natural materials.

The challenge unleashed incredible creativity:
Melted barrel lid + old pallets -> ice-fishing tip-up
Bicycle inner tubes -> waterproof pouch
Local raw sheep's wool -> hand-spun, handwoven scarf
Old PFD and odd sock -> running vest with pockets for snacks and phone
Leaky air mattress -> waterproof anorak
Leaky neoprene hip-waders -> specialized camera backpack
Old tent -> a bivouac sac
Cracked pulk -> repaired functional pulk
Broken skis -> a set of stools and an ice-fishing tip-up
Old harness -> barrel pack add-on and water bottle pouch strap
.. and more!

Here's what some students had to say about their projects:

"The act of making something by hand changed my relationship to it."

". . .made me realize to think more critically of what I buy and how it's affecting the environment. Especially when buying outdoor apparel. As the goal is often to
connect with the environment"

"I will care much more for it knowing that it took nearly 15 hours to make, rather than just a few days to be shipped to my house."

"Overall I am super proud of how both of these projects turned out."

We're so proud of your work too!