Ontario Girl Guides of Canada

Outdoor Experiences continue to be integral to the girl experience in Guiding. This program was introduced to provide options for Guiders of all comfort and experience levels to support girls in the outdoors. The aim of Outdoor Experiences is to remove geographic barriers and provide support to girls to create as much equity as possible. By providing pre-planned activities, some of the administrative responsibilities that often fall on Guiders have been eliminated. GGCON provides completed SG.1, SG.2, and SG.5 forms (if required), making it easier for Guiders to plan their Outdoor Experiences.

Any registered girl or youth member is eligible to participate in an Outdoor Experience as long as they fit within the set age range. Current opportunities are listed on the Outdoor Experience Programs for Units page. We are continually working to grow the program. If you cannot attend the available opportunities, you can submit suggestions for new partner facilities by using the Facility Recommendation form.

For Overnight Experiences, Ontario Council charges a standard fee regardless of the cost per person at the facility and subsidizes the difference. Eligible girl members may receive further financial assistance from GGCON.

For Day Experiences, costs are determined in conjunction with the facility.

We protect and respect your privacy. Your personal information will be used within our organization only for the purposes of this program. We do not provide or sell this information to outside organizations. For further information, see the Girl Guides of Canada Privacy Statement.

ePLY, the registration software used for these activities, states the following: “we will not release any collected information to any party other than the Client except if (a) authorized by the Client, (b) as part of the payment collection process, or (c) if required by law.” For more information, read ePLY’s full privacy policy.

Please submit your suggestions for new partner facilities using the Facility Recommendation form.

For Overnight Experiences, meals will be provided. However, the number of meals provided will vary by experience. Refer to the Outdoor Experience planned programs for units registration form for complete details.

For Day Experiences, participants must bring their own food. For more information about what kinds of food are allowed at each facility, refer to the Outdoor Experience planned programs for units registration form.

Accommodations for allergy and dietary needs vary by facility. Please refer to the experience registration form found on the Outdoor Experience planned programs for units page for information about the facility. If you have any questions, please send an email to on-outdoorexperiencesfaq@girlguides.ca and we will contact the facility on your behalf.

All allergy and dietary needs must be identified on the registration form and provided at least two weeks prior to the experience start date.

If a facility cannot accommodate the needs of an individual, we will discuss the option of the individual bringing their own food at their own expense.

In fulfilling its Mission, Girl Guides of Canada–Guides du Canada endeavours to respect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. GGC is committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity as others to access its services and to allowing people with and without disabilities to benefit from the same services in the same places in similar ways. Please contact on-outdoorexperiencesfaq@girlguides.ca to find the Outdoor Experience that is best suited to your needs. It is at the discretion of the facility to determine if and how it can provide the requested accommodation.

Once you have been successfully registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the following information about your experience:

• Arrival and departure details
• Payment details
• GGC and third-party paperwork that need to be completed prior to the start of the Outdoor Experience

Up to four weeks prior to the experience start date, you will receive a pre-arrival handbook that includes the following:

• General packing list
• Menu
• Rooming list
• Activity list and schedule

Once the registration is confirmed and the deposit payment is successfully processed, Unit Guiders will need to ensure that the participants in their unit complete the following paperwork and bring it to the experience or submit it in advance:

• GGC paperwork
• Third-party paperwork (if required)
• Some facilities will have their own paperwork which participants must complete prior to the experience. The requirements for this paperwork can be found in your experience confirmation email.

No, but the crest is available for purchase by units through the online ordering system.

There will be no need for additional money onsite. Unit Guiders will determine if there is any need for money enroute to the facility.

All participants are expected to represent Girl Guides of Canada in a positive way by following the Code of Conduct and demonstrating the values of our Mission, Vision, Promise, and Law. For more information, see Participant Responsibilities on the Terms and Conditions page.

Our adult-to-girl Safe Guide ratios are as follows:
Sparks and Brownies = 1:5
Guides and Pathfinders = 1:7
Rangers = 1:15
In accordance with Safe Guide, Spark, Brownie, and Guide units must have a minimum of two adult participants to meet ratio. To register for an Outdoor Experience, units are required to meet Safe Guide ratios. Unit Guiders within the Safe Guide ratio attend free of charge.

For full details, refer to the Terms and Conditions page.

Outdoor Experiences are a great opportunity to meet other members. Units will participate in programming with other units throughout their Experience. Generally, Unit Guiders will be expected to share the accommodations with girl participants and act in a supervisory manner while there. Whether Unit Guiders share rooms with girls is dependent on the facility and specific building arrangements. For details, refer to the Terms and Conditions page.

The pre-arrival handbook will cross-reference the experience activities with GGC’s program requirements. Certain experiences at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) partners offer badge alignment opportunities. Attending these experiences will allow Sparks and Brownies to complete a specific badge and allow Guides to work toward badge completion. Please visit the registration pages for each date for more details.

If your concern is related to the facility, accommodation, food, program, or staff, please contact the facility lead directly. If there is an incident in accordance with Safe Guide, contact the Responsible Guider for the experience.

The Unit Guider will consult with the Responsible Guider to determine the best way to manage each situation as it arises. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions page for information regarding illness and refunds.

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions page.

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions page.

The Primary Registrant will be sent an online survey following the Outdoor Experience that they can use to provide feedback. Additional feedback may be sent to on-outdoorexperiencesfaq@girlguides.ca at any time.