Hope in Átl'ḵa7tsem Howe Sound

Young Adult Retreat
Sept 11-13, 2026

By: Emily Mikkola
Camp Fircom Program Director

I have been a part of the Camp Fircom community for almost a decade, and this past September I had the opportunity to lead a retreat for the first time. I have led countless different camps and school programs, worked in the kitchen and on the guest experience team, but it was really exciting to dip my toes into the retreat facilitator world for a few short days with a wonderful group of young adults. The idea for this retreat came earlier this year, when I was thinking about what demographic of people may be missing out on experiencing the magic of places like Fircom. For young adults who are not interested or able to work at a summer camp, who didn’t go to camp as a child, or who cannot financially find space to attend something like a meditation retreat, what opportunities are there to connect to the lands and waters around them?

With the generous support of Howl Experiences and Ocean Wise, I was able to host a weekend retreat called Hope in Átl'ḵa7tsem Howe Sound for young adults. The retreat took place at Camp Fircom on Chá7elkwnech (Gambier Island) over the weekend of September 11-13, 2026. Young adults (18-30 years old) from the lower mainland came to camp with the intention of connecting with the land and water, participating in action blocks, and spending time outdoors in community. 

Friday evening was a time to connect with one another, and Wes Nahanee, a Squamish Elder and Knowledge Sharer, welcomed us to the land.

Around the campfire, we shared stories and laughter, getting to know one another and settling into the weekend together.

Saturday morning greeted us with sunshine and the first hints of fall. We began the day out on the water, paddling together in our big canoes while I shared the Howe Sound Recovery Story, a story of resilience and recovery following years of intense pollution in these waters.

Wes shared Squamish stories and legends about the land and water, and sang songs in the Squamish language. After a beautiful morning on the water, we returned to camp for lunch.

That afternoon, Wes led us on a medicine walk, teaching us about the medicinal and traditional uses of native plants in the area. We then had a chance to put some of what we had learned into practice in the garden and around the site, tackling invasive species and starting native plant seeds with Kate, Fircom’s gardener, that we hope will be thriving come spring.

Corrine Dahlo, an amazing master gardener and member of the Fircom Moms community, shared best practices for removing invasive holly, thistle, blackberry and Scotch broom. It felt good to get our hands dirty and contribute to the land we were learning about.

After some free time around camp, we tried our hand at silkscreening, customizing our own Átl'ḵa7tsem Howe Sound merch with a design created by amazing local artist Angel Gunn.

We ended the evening around another campfire, singing and sharing stories together.

On Sunday morning, participants could decide between doing archery, making a medicinal salve from herbs in the garden, or enjoying free time on site. We had an opportunity to U-Pick in the garden, where folks could pick a variety of produce that the garden has an abundance of to take home with them (zucchini, patty pan squash, tomatoes, cucamelons, nasturtiums, sage, parsley, mint, rosemary, onions, and kale).

Then, we had our last meal together before having a closing circle. Participants shared their highlights and what they wanted to continue learning about, and shared our appreciations for each other.

Some highlights included canoeing and learning about the history of Átl'ḵa7tsem, silkscreening their own clothing, being in community together, and how many laughs we shared as a group. Many folks shared that they would be interested in continuing to learn about gardening, invasive plant removal, and spending time outdoors on the land and waters.

Overall, it was an exceptionally wonderful weekend and I was left feeling so grateful for the community that came together to connect with the land, waters and each other, the Fircom staff who helped make this weekend possible, and Howl and OceanWise for their generous support.