How many team members to a team?

We encourage you to recruit between 6 and 8 team members for your Amici’s Canoe Heads for Kids Team. Any more than 8 is hard to keep track of while on the water, and for safety reasons paddlers need to be able to keep track of their teammates.

What do I need to bring with me to the event?

That’s an excellent question! A camper is always prepared! If you are a Canoe Heads paddler/portager, you’ll need to supply your own equipment including a paddle and PFD or lifejacket.

Please bring with you:
- Sturdy pair of shoes to wear while portaging
- Personal Flotation Device (PFD) or Lifejacket
- Paddle
- Rain-gear
- Water bottle
- Sunscreen

You may also want to bring:
- Light snacks to have on the route
- Baseball hat
- Warm layers if it's a cool one!

How do I register for Amici’s Canoe Heads for Kids?

To register for Canoe Heads, you can click on any one of the links below:

To register as a team member of an existing team or as a Canoe Crew member CLICK HERE
To register as an individual and have us place you on a team CLICK HERE


After you’ve selected the right option above for you, follow the prompts and you’ll soon be a registered Canoe Head. If you are a returning participant, you can sign in with your previous year’s username and password to make the registration process easier!

Remember that in order to register as a team member of an existing team, your team captain must have already registered your team. If you can’t find your captain or team name in the registration process, please contact your captain and kindly remind them to register your team, or you can contact Amici at 416-588-8026 and we’ll give you a hand!

Can I participate as a non-Paddler/Portager?

You betcha! You can register for Amici’s Canoe Heads for Kids as a member of Amici’s Canoe Crew. Members of the Canoe Crew join an existing team and help fundraise alongside their paddler teammates. Our Canoe Crew are our virtual paddlers – this option is available for anyone who is out of town or unable to participate on the day of. For more information please visit our AMICI’S CANOE CREW page or contact Robyn at robyn@amicicharity.org or 416-588-8026.

What does it cost to participate?

There is a registration fee that participants will pay upon registration. This fee provides you with an event t-shirt and lunch on event day, and also helps cover our canoe rental fees

If you sign up on or before March 29, the fee is $55.

If you register after March 29, the fee is $65.

How will I get my paddle and PFD from Harbourfront to the lunch location at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park?

That’s a great question! Though you do need to bring your own PFD and paddle, you won’t be using those until your team starts the paddling leg of the route following lunchtime. The launch of the paddling portion of the event will be at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park, 2001 Lake Shore Blvd W., Toronto.

Our volunteers will look after transporting this gear for you. Before the portage begins, your team captain will instruct you on where to leave your team’s paddles and PFDs.

Will food be provided for event participants?

Absolutely! Remember how amazing meals were on trip after a long day of portaging? Snacks are provided for all participants at the start of the event and lunch will be served at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park following the portage. A small variety of drinks will also be available, however to lessen the environment impact of this event, you are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle.

We recommend you bring some other snacks with you to munch on throughout the day.

Is this a race?

No siree! Amici’s Canoe Heads for Kids is a fun event for a great cause. There is no competitive element to the event, and no prize for the fastest team.

We want each team and participant to be able to enjoy the event safely at their own pace.

What time do I have to be there?

Please arrive at Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre at 283 Queens Quay W. at 12 pm, unless you are a team captain, in which case please arrive for a mandatory captain’s meeting at 11:30 am. There will be time to meet your teammates and prepare for the start of the event before the portage commences at 1pm. For a more detailed event day schedule, check out event details here.

Where do I park?

There is public parking available on the North/West side of Queens Quay and Rees Street (318 Queens Quay W.), and beneath the Radisson Hotel (249 Queens Quay W.) next to Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre.

Where do the funds that I raise go?

Canoe Heads for Kids supports Amici Camping Charity and funds summer camp experiences for young people from low income families who couldn’t afford it otherwise. The campers you help will have the opportunity to return to camp for as long as he/she is old enough to attend. After ageing out of their individual camp programs, many Amici campers have been hired on as camp staff at their respective camps! Amici also supports older campers through The Compass Leadership Program – a first of its kind program that transforms camp skills into life skills.

There’s no doubt that the positive impact of a single two-week session at camp can be significant. However, at Amici we believe that 21st century skills such as leadership, independence and self-confidence are most effectively developed over time.

Amici fosters a lasting relationship between a sponsored child and his/her camp, encouraging each child to grow a little bit more at camp each summer. Throughmulti-year support that you help provide, Amici aims to set each child on a stable path to a brighter future. The funds that you raise will give children the opportunity to escape the city life for a few weeks during the summer, and discover their full potential in a unique and supportive environment.