“Edge of the Atlantic” All-Women’s Canoe Expedition
5-minute read
The Edge of the Atlantic is an all-women’s canoe expedition to Canada’s Labrador Sea, set for July 2026. We’re excited to partner with these six young women for their trip.
The team will set out on their 35-day expedition from western Newfoundland and Labrador and end in Québec. Their aim is to “push the boundaries of adventure, endurance and exploration through the remote and breathtaking landscapes of eastern Canada.”
This is new wilderness tripping territory for the community these ladies are involved in, the Camping and Education Foundation. The camp they grew up attending is in northern Minnesota—Ogiche Daa Kwe (“strong-spirited woman” in Ojibwe).
We connected with team member Emeline (Emmy) Krill to learn more about their trip. Here’s our interview with Emmy:
BENDING BRANCHES: What made you decide on the route you all have chosen?
EMMY: In the beginning stages of our planning, we discussed the possibility of following in similar footsteps to the 6th North of 60 (all women's canoe expedition), by heading out west with a northern trajectory to the Arctic Ocean.
But after watching some videos from Northern Scavenger and their trip where they traversed a similar route to our own, it sparked interest in our desires to endure the rain, bugs and portages and accomplish an expedition of this magnitude under pure willpower.
By charting this route, we extend the Camping and Education tripping tradition into the Arctic East, where previous Arctic expeditions through our Foundation endured central and westward Canada.
Because of this factor, we really had to research on our own and collaborate with others outside of our organization. Chewonki Camp was a huge help with providing maps and logs of the second half of our route, where the river's currents are the strongest.
BRANCHES: What do you anticipate to be your biggest challenge(s)?
EMMY: There will be a few. First, our interpersonal relationships and the leadership dynamics. As a team, we’ve had multiple discussions regarding all of our leadership capabilities. I think a lot of us fear that our individual strong leadership abilities will clash with one another.
The Edge of the Atlantic team of canoeists
Given that this is a common fear amongst our teammates, I believe we have and will rise above this fear to cultivate an environment for everyone to feel seen and heard when we’re on the water.
With this thought being front and center on a lot of our minds, we proactively set up a coaching session with Amy Krill (my mother), who helped us take steps to be vulnerable as a team, and focus on intentional ways of communicating with one another when problems arise.
Other big challenges will be portaging without a resupply and transportation. Our home, Camp Ogichi Daa Kwe, is located miles away from Labrador City, where we’ll be starting our expedition. We’ll have a 36-hour drive before we can place our paddles in the water.
Anything could happen in that drive. A popped tire, running out of gas, a canoe flying off the trailer, etc.
On our return, we haven't been able to get much information from the community where we’ll end our expedition. We aren't entirely sure how departing the town will go and what gear we’ll be able to take with us.
This can be stressful to think about—but sometimes not knowing is better, and figuring it out on the fly is a fun experience!
BRANCHES: Tell us about your expected logistics.
EMMY: Each of us has spent the past 4+ years leading young women on multi-day canoe trips across Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan through Camp Ogichi Daa Kwe.
Together, we bring decades—and over 1,300 days—of tripping experience, certifications in wilderness safety and rescue, and a collective passion for pushing boundaries in wild places.
Our expedition will result in around 30 days of paddling, 5 rest days, and 22 miles/33 km a day with a total of 620 m/1,000 km. We will be crossing large lakes, portaging over the Height Of Land where two watersheds meet (also where we will be crossing from Labrador into Quebec) and paddling two rivers with C1-C5 rapids, the De Pas River and the George River.
BRANCHES: What kinds of data/information will you be gathering along the way?
EMMY: We see this trip as giving back to the Canadian Arctic by supporting environmental preservation. We will:
- Record detailed logs and edit maps of our route
- Create videos and photos with all of our sponsors’ gear in use
- Collaborate with Blue Carbon International on an ongoing research project called MarcroCARB.
We’ll collect sediment core samples to provide the first-ever measured carbon stocks from subarctic seagrass sediments and help to calibrate satellite-based models to estimate seagrass density across large areas.
BRANCHES: Which Bending Branches paddles will you be using?
EMMY: Five of our members have chosen the Expedition Plus and the sixth will use the Horizon.
BRANCHES: What else would you like to share with our readers?
EMMY: If I could extend a message out to the community: Keep reaching for your impossible and get your foot out the front door to experience nature. We are beyond lucky to have access to these remote wilderness locations all over the world—don’t take it for granted.
Our thanks to Emmy for her time, and we wish her and her team all the best on their trip!
Learn more about the Camping and Education Foundation. Learn more about Camp Ogichi Daa Kwe.
Photos courtesy of Emeline Krill and her team.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or bbinfo@bendingbranches.com, or choose our online chat option.
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