Toronto Youth on 2000 km Metis Canoe Trek

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - June 10, 2014) - On June 11, Amilia DiChiara from Toronto will be one of eight young Métis from across the province that will arrive in Toronto as part of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Canoe Expedition.

This group started from Ottawa on May 26 on an over 2,000 km canoe trek that will end at Thunder Bay on August 22. In this adventure of a lifetime, the young voyageurs will, through experiential learning, develop leadership and employability skills that will have them build their future careers. Dressed in authentic Métis clothing from the fur trade era, during their lengthy trip which is expected to last 90 days, these modern voyageurs will be visiting Métis communities throughout Ontario where they will promote Métis culture and heritage.

"This is a unique summer job opportunity the MNO is providing," explained MNO President Gary Lipinski at the launch, "these young people will learn valuable skills that will help them throughout their lives, experience the life of a Métis voyageur and at the same time will teach people across the province about Métis heritage, culture and our contributions to Canada." 

The members of the MNO Canoe Expedition are Métis youth from across the province who are attending post-secondary institutions in the fall or who are recent graduates. "The MNO puts a priority on providing opportunities to our young people to be all they can be," stated President Lipinski, "and the MNO Canoe Expedition is another example of the way we support Métis youth achieve their dreams by helping them reach their educational goals and objectives."

The complete itinerary of the MNO Canoe Expedition is attached and more information can be found at: www.metisnation.org/canoeexpedition2014.

The MNO Canoe Expedition can be followed on Twitter @MetisNationON and the MNO Facebook page.

The location and time of the MNO Canoe Expedition arrival in Toronto on June 11 will be available shortly.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2014/6/9/11G016766/Images/IMG_0048-1089727101262.JPG

Embedded Video Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCND1oi_pNw&feature=share&list=UUYt1gnqk88jHpRWiOXe0d_A

Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2014/6/9/11G016766/MNO_Canoe_Expedition_backgrounder_final-1311951949749.pdf