AECOM Construction Employees Receives Basic Survival Training

HWTI hosted a Basic Wilderness Survival course for the group from AECOM. A damp and rainy day, put forth a challenge for this group, to maintain a fire, and build a rainproof shelter. Temperatures dropped in the evening, adding more challenges to them. In the end they all “Survived” and worked together using great teamwork skills to meet their challenges head on. Thanks guys!!

Instructors Will Once Again Be Working With Our Friends From The Moose Cree First Nations.

The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute is happy to once again be working with our friends from The Moose Cree in Moossonee Ontario. Instructors for HWTI will be traveling to the Washow lodge where guides and members of the local community will be receiving training in Wilderness First Aid, WHMIS, Transportation Of Dangerous Goods as well as their Personnel Watercraft Operator Certifications.

Washow Lodge is designed to be a world-class, Aboriginal ecotourism wilderness destination located on Hannah Bay, 60 km east of Moossonee, Ontario

The 8,000 sq.ft. main facility has been constructed using a traditional Cree vertical log building technique using locally harvested logs. Guests will stay in the 12 room main lodge and experience a variety of program activities aimed at giving them hands-on learning experiences regarding Cree culture. 

For more information look up the Moose Cree Website in google.

HWTI To Teach Wilderness Survival For Fleming College

The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute is proud to announce that this month we will be teaching a Theoretical & Practical based Wilderness Survival Skills Course to aprox 35 Students from Mr. Whittekers Outdoor Adventure Skills course. The Outdoor Adventure Skills Course offered at Fleming College in Lindsay is a two-semester Outdoor Adventure Skills certificate program that is designed for those who love the outdoors and want to hone their skills, to train and certify prospective adventure tourism employees, and provide specialization for tourism or recreation students. You can obtain several certifications in this one program, in one timeframe, at one location. To acquire these certifications would ordinarily require travel all across Ontario, throughout the year. You can obtain certifications such as:

Flat-water Canoeing

Canoe Tripping

GPS and Wilderness Navigation

Survival Skills

Hike Leader

Bronze Cross swimming qualifications

Wilderness First Aid

Ice Safety

ESAR Police Fire EMS Adventure Race

The Highlands Wilderness Training institute provided Marine Unit Support on Bass lake patrolling the waters while canoers ventured around the lack to reach various water based checkpoints, in addition to providing medical support for the event. ESAR is Canada's largest adventure racing event dedicated to emergency services personnel.  Each year, teams of three competing in Fire, Police, Paramedic divisions vie for ESAR supremacy by trekking, mountain biking, paddling and completing special tasks through challenging and fun racecourses that explore and showcase southern and central Ontario's best adventure terrain.  Finishing is not an option, it's a duty.

Nav Canada Vancouver

The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute, as part of it’s National Training Contract with Nav Canada, recently completed a combined Custom Wilderness First Aid & Wilderness Survival Course for the employees of Nav Canada’s Vancouver Division. 

During the program the participants were given 5 days of training in matters relating to Wilderness First Aid & Wilderness Survival skills as part of  Nav Canada’s National Training Program. 

The skills provided are directly related to the on the job needs of the Engineering Department Employees, who often work in remote wilderness locations while installing Navigation Aids & Communications Equipment that is used by Aircraft Pilots & Air Traffic Controllers. 

Job Well Done Guys 

HWTI Medics Provide Medical Support At Storm The Trent

Once again the event medical support team from the Highlands Wilderness Training Institute spent the weekend supporting our favourite race director Sean from Storm Racing during the 10th Anniversary of Storm the Trent aka Canada’s Largest Multi-Sport adventure Race. 

 As seams to be the pre-ordered norm for Rice Lake when we are there the weather was more reminiscent of a late fall day in September or early October. 

While onsite the Medical Team provided support for the race by providing First Aid & Safety Boat services to those that endured the misfortune of an injury, Dehydration & Electrolyte Shortages oh and we can’t forget to mention the occasional Cold Water Swim in Rice Lake.

We would like to extend our thanks to Tom Benson an Experienced ICU Nurse for joining us for the day on what is likely to be one of the adventures he remembers for a lifetime. From pulling people out of the water to helping at the checkpoints Tom was a great sport and a valuable resource. 

In addition we would like to thank Garret Hookey a Paramedic Student From Georgian College and current Wilderness EMT Student at The Highlands WIlderness Training Institute for his excellent boat operator skills, PS Garrett you can be a guest lecturer the next time we are talking about Hypothermia and Cold Water Immersion ;)

Nav Canada Training In Moncton New Brunswick

The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute, as part of it’s National Training Contract with Nav Canada, recently completed a combined Custom Wilderness First Aid & Wilderness Survival Course for the employees of Nav Canada’s New Brunswick & Newfoundland Division. 

 During the program the participants were given 4 days of training in matters relating to Wilderness First Aid & Wilderness Survival skills as part of  Nav Canada’s National Training Program. 

The skills provided are directly related to the on the job needs of the Engineering Department Employees, who often work in remote wilderness locations while installing Navigation Aids & Communications Equipment that is used by Aircraft Pilots & Air Traffic Controllers. 

Job Well Done Guys and thank you for the Eastern Canada Hospitality. 

We Will Be Back again only with our fishing rods and rain suits next time around :)

Out Into The Wilds

Under grey skies and drizzly rain, students in the most recent wilderness survival course spent the day out on the Wilderness section of the Ganaraska trail practicing skills that could one day save their lives should they ever find themselves lost or injured in the wilderness. 

Guided by Sean and Scott a group of students headed out on a 5km hike into what is, some of the roughest wilderness in this part of Ontario. From water crossings to heavily wood landscapes the students were given an insight and the experience of wilderness navigation, building a wilderness shelter, constructing distress signals and learning what to do when bad things happen to good people or aka when things go wrong. We are happy to report that we came back with the same number of students we left with and all were in good spirits all be it a little damper then when they left, but hopefully better prepared to head out on more remote trips.

THE HWTI Medical Team Will once again Be Supporting the Largest Multi-Sport Adventure Race In Canada

2011 marks the 10th anniversary year of Storm'ing the Trent, Voted for four years running by readers of Get Out There Magazine as Ontario's “favourite adventure race”, Salomon Storm the Trent is Canada's largest and most inclusive gathering of multi-sport adventurers.

Three separate races are staged to provide racers with the ultimate in choice; and once again The team from The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute is proud to be working with Sean and the Storm racing team as we provide the Medical & Safety Support Team for this years race to be held on May 14&15th on Rice Lake.

For 3 years now The HWTI team has ensured that the racers have had a safe and enjoyable experience while knowing that a fully trained and equipped safety team is onsite should they need any assistance. 

Congratulations on your 10th Anniversary with Storm The Trent Sean. Our Team is looking forward to working with you until your next anniversary :)

Our Instructors In The Field

A View Heading North

The Camp's Heli-pad

 Once again  The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute is working with our friends at NAC Construction by providing Medical & Safety support at their Bluefish Dam Construction site which is located in Canada’s Northwest Territories North Of Yellowknife. Access to the remote camp and worksite is via ice road in the winter and via Helicopter for the rest of the year. Deanna is onsite providing medical support for the camp. When we say our instructors have been their done that we have the stories to back it up. We head to the ends of the Earth to provide the best service we can. And yes there still is snow in Yellowknife in May :)

Deanna & Her Pilot

Seneca College To Offer Our Aircrew Survival Course Starting Fall 2011

The staff of The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute is pleased to announce that they will be partnering with the Continuing Education Department at Seneca College to offer our Aircrew Survival Course to both students enrolled in the Professional Pilot program offered by Seneca College and the General public at large. This course will be of interest to both student pilots and pilots who are already licensed but would like to learn more about survival skills. Registration for the program will be through the Registrars office at Seneca College. Those interested in more information on this program can email The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute. This course will be available in the fall of 2011. Stay tuned for more information and updates.

New Training Facility

It is with much anticipation that the Staff of The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute announces the opening of our new classroom facility in downtown Minden Ontario. The new facility provides the latest in technology and advanced training techniques while providing our students a relaxed and comfortable environment to conduct the theoretical portions of their courses. Free camping and wilderness practical components of our courses are still available and conducted 10 minutes away from the new facility at our wilderness camp location.

HWTI Awarded Contract To Provide National Training For NAV CANADA

Instructors from The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute have been awarded a National Contract to provide a custom wilderness training package, to the national service technicians for Canada’s Air Traffic Control system. During the delivery of this custom program instructors will be traveling from Moncton in Eastern Canada through Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton & Vancouver. If you require the delivery of a custom national training program for your staff please feel free to send us an email at wildernesstraining@gmail.com 

Sub-Arctic Onsite Wilderness First Responder Course for NAC Construction

View From Camp At Dusk

Students Evacuating An Injured Worker

To A Warm Location Do To The -40'C Temps

Students Using An AED 

 The Ops Manger for the Highlands Wilderness Training Institute has arrived home after completing an 11 day Journey to Canada s Northwest Territories to conduct a First Responder Course for NAC Construction and The Northwest Territories Power Corporation. During the course often while working in temperatures of -40‘C and lower, the employees learned to deal with medical emergencies while working in the wilderness subarctic region North of Yellowknife. The current camp will be the future home of the Bluefish Hydro Dam which is operated by The NWT Power Corporation.

Student Being Extricated From
An Industrial Accident
Scenario

In addition to the conduction of the First Responder Course, HWTI’s Operations Manager a qualified Wilderness EMT provided onsite medical coverage for the employees working on the construction site. Please feel free to take a look at the pictures from his trip in our photos page on this website. Pictures include both the journey up the Ice Road in addition to various panoramic and course photos.

International Search & Rescue Team Completes Winter Survival Course

Members of both the Canadian and United Kingdom teams of ERT Search and Rescue, a United Nations INSARG SAR team recently attend HWTI to participate in a winter/arctic survival training course. During the course temperatures dipped to -30’c overnight, adding to the importance of the skills and techniques they were taught. Such skills included the construction of various winter snow shelters, various methods of starting fires in arctic environments, education on Hypothermia & Frostbite as well as the Psychology of Arctic Survival.

The team lead by renowned author and educator Gary Foo & Justin from the UK ERT SAR team did an awesome job and learned some valuable skills in addition to earning some bragging rights after having spent a successful night out in the woods with temps dropping to the -30’C mark.

Great Job Guys.

Our Operations manager heads back to Yellowknife, NT

The Northwest Territories Power Corporation owns and operates Bluefish Hydro, a hydro

generation facility located at the north end of Prosperous Lake at the outlet of the

Yellowknife River. This facility has a generation capacity of 7.2 Megawatts and supplies

power to the Yellowknife service area.

Bluefish Hydro was originally developed by Nerco Con Mines. Construction began in

1940 and first power was generated in 1942. As part of that development an impoundment

dam was constructed at the outlet of Bluefish Lake. The original construction of

the dam was rock filled timber crib, utilizing locally harvested timbers. The normal life

expectancy of a timber crib dam is approximately 40 years, however, upgrades to the

dam completed in 1973, 1983 and 2007 extended the dams life beyond the normal expected

period.

From Peru To Haliburton Then Off To Hawaii

Having traveled to such places as the amazon jungle and the mountains of peru, Anthony is no stranger to hardship in the Wilderness. Working a s professional bird surveyor in some of the most remote places on Earth, Anthony knows all about how alone you can be and how bad things can turn if things go wrong. With this in mind he decided it was time to re-certify his basic wilderness first aid. Under the watchful eye of the instructors here at HWTI Anthony, Steve & Syd spent an adventurous weekend in the forests of minden hills fine tuning their wilderness first aid skills. Great job guys and well done. We look forward to seeing you in a first responder course or wilderness navigation course when your schedules allow ..

HWTI Instructors Join UN Search & Rescue Team

Instructors from the Highlands Wilderness Training Institute will be attending a three day International Search & Rescue Training Course to be held later this month. The course is being provided by the ERT-SAR Rescue Team which is in the process of creating a new Canadian SAR team which will have the capacity to respond Internationally & Nationally to disaster scenes should the need arise. For more information please visit ERT-SARs website at the following web addresses:

UK Website www.ert-sar.org.uk Canada Website www.ert-sar.ca

Wilderness EMT - Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician Course

The Highlands Wilderness Training Institute is now accepting applications for enrolment in their new W-EMT Wilderness EMT Program. This is a fully immersive curriculum which will put the student at the top of the Wilderness Medicine food chain. Base don prolonged patient care in remote austere environments the students will learn advanced skill sets in addition to studying in topics such as Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmacology and advanced patient skills. 

Limited spaces are available in this program which will run on a quarterly basis throughout the year. Students interested in this program should visit the Wilderness First Aid Course page for more details.

Winter Survival Course - Students Can't Wait For Sunrise

Dave and Mike set out to conquer a Canadian Winter Night in the forests of Haliburton Ontario. Both guys have an avid interest in the great outdoors and trying to gain as much knowledge as they can about how to deal with emergencies and the unexpected that could happen while out enjoying typical fun winter activities. The two spent the day in the forest learning skills such as how to start a fire on snow when wood is scarce or not existent, how to build a winter shelter to give them protection from the elements, and most of all how to concur a cold winter night when stranded out in the forest. Both made it through until dawn unscathed and better prepared with some insight into what to pack for a winter trip and what to do if things don’t exactly go as planned.

Alpine Club Of Canada Members Attend Basic Navigation Course

Alpine Club Of Canada Members Complete The Basic Wilderness Navigation Course. A fun and informative weekend was had by members of the Alpine Club Of Canada who attended the Basic Wilderness Navigation Course. Neither Wind or Snow could keep their spirits down as John & Sarah showed them the ways of how to effectively navigate their way through unknown terrain. Great Job gang and wishing you all new summits on your next climbing adventures