Scouts from around world descend on N.S. capital

Busloads and planeloads of Scouts from around the world have landed in Nova Scotia this week for the 13th Canada Jamboree.

It’s the first time in a halfcentury that the Scouts Canada event’s been held here and 4,500 youth and adult volunteers are expected.

The event is held every four years in Canada. In 2013, it was at Sylvan Lake, Alberta. This year’s is hosted at Camp Nadooae.

“We’ve got lots of happy, busy kids running around,” Jamboree spokesperson Keegan Eatmon said Sunday.

“We have volunteers and youth from 15 different countries, and multiple buses going into Halifax each day.”

Scouts from as far away as France, Finland, Liberia, Scotland and Taiwan are joining Scouts from around North America.

This is not your father’s Scouting experience. In Canada, Scouting has been co-ed since 1993, and about a third of the camp’s participants are female.

In addition to traditional camp favourites like archery, the adventures are updated with events like an “Amazing Race” that takes participants from challenge envelope to challenge envelope and scaled so both Scouts and their parents can enjoy.

A mountain mudslide obstacle course and relay race will have kids scaling a muddy halfpipe, escaping quicksand and climbing a greased pole.

There will be a Master Chef-inspired cooking challenge, and engineering feats will include building cannons, catapults and model rockets — and launching them. Scouts will be building their version of the Confederation Bridge from two shores to meet in the middle with rope, suspension and pillars.

Nova Scotian touches include a Highland Games, complete with caber toss, hammer and axe throws, tug of war and fencing.

Teams will build a wooden catamaran and sail it across Brown Lake, and dragon boat races will send participants across Lake Banook.

“The most critical thing is we’ve got to keep it relevant to youth, and relevant to Scouters,” said John Petitti, executive director for marketing and communications.

Scouts will flock to beaches at Martinique and Lawrencetown, and hiking trails around Halifax.

On Thursday, their Canada 150 celebration will include bands, a massive Maritime backyard kitchen party and fireworks displays.