Virtual backcountry orientations

By Serafina Orcoyen

The Coastal Hiking Trail and Coastal Paddling Route in Pukaskwa National Park offer superior experiences, which are not for the faint of heart. Backpacking and paddling in this rugged area are considered extreme adventures, requiring skill, will, experience and, most of all, preparedness!

In 2020, Parks Canada staff waited for travel restrictions to ease and prepared for a late launch of the camping season, fully expecting there would be fewer visitors than in past years. Little did we know that there was a whole new group of individuals gearing up and ready to get outside!

When the park reopened to visitors in 2020, the demand for backcountry experiences was high. However, delivering the mandatory backcountry orientations, while also checking in an increased number of front-country visitors, was challenging for staff. We knew in order to maintain the same gold standard for all our visitors, we needed to find a better way to spend time orienting backcountry users.  It was important to connect visitors with real people and have real conversations about experiences in real time! 

To find a solution, staff reached out for advice to other Parks Canada locations offering similar backcountry experiences. Turns out, the answer was right in front of us. It was how many of us were managing through meetings, connecting with friends and family, learning how to bake, watching music concerts, etc. The answer was to develop a virtual backcountry orientation.

In 2021, we began offering virtual orientations twice a day on the weekends during peak season. This was a game changer, quickly proving to be an awesome addition to our high quality, visitor experience!  After a backcountry reservation is made, our team sends an email invitation for visitors to attend a video conference call prior to their trip. With a simple click, the visitor gets to connect with park staff, as well as others planning to go into Pukaskwa’s backcountry. 

Orientations include important information about cultural resources within the park, invasive species, species at risk, wildlife, visitor safety, and the general expectations while on the trail or coast.  Backcountry visitors share tips, learn from each other’s questions, and just talk about what excites them most - their upcoming adventure! 

As time went on, more and more parties attended the virtual sessions and shared valuable feedback. It didn’t take us long to start noticing the benefits of having this process completed prior to arrival. An in-person check-in and orientation used to take anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes per group. Now, visitor time at check-in has decreased to under 10 minutes. In that time, they get their permits and are quickly on their way to doing what brought them here in the first place: their backcountry adventure!

In Spring 2022, staff again offered virtual orientations and have added mid-week, evening sessions to meet demand. We still enjoy delivering those in-person orientations for walk-up adventurers or those who simply prefer to wait until they arrive. We just can’t help but notice that the lineups at the Kiosk are now shorter! 

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