From Oakville to Iceland

In July 2026, members of 1st Glen Abbey Scouts packed their bags, left Oakville behind and travelled more than 4,000 kilometres to Iceland for an adventure none of us will soon forget.

We were heading to Hamrar, just outside Akureyri in northern Iceland, for the 2026 Icelandic National Jamboree — and for 1st Glen Abbey, this was something particularly special.

It was our first international Scout Jamboree.

We went to Iceland expecting an incredible adventure. What we discovered was that a Jamboree is about much more than where you travel or the activities you do. It is about the people you meet, the friendships you build and discovering just how big the Scouting family really is.

Our Adventure Begins

Before we even reached the Jamboree, Iceland gave us plenty to remember.

Travelling north from Reykjavík toward Akureyri introduced us to a landscape unlike anything we see at home — mountains, waterfalls, volcanic terrain, rivers and enormous stretches of open wilderness.

For our Scouts, simply travelling through Iceland was part of the adventure.

Eventually we arrived at Hamrar, where tents, flags and Scouts from around Iceland and around the world transformed the campground into our home for the week.

Our group became Ice & Maple Patrol, proudly representing Canada, 1st Glen Abbey and our community of Oakville.

And then the Jamboree began.

One Week. Countless Adventures.

Every day brought something different.

Our Scouts hiked through Icelandic landscapes, went kayaking, explored Akureyri, tackled challenges, learned new outdoor skills, tried woodworking, went swimming and experienced Iceland’s famous geothermal waters.

Some activities pushed us physically. Others required teamwork, problem solving or the confidence to try something completely new.

But often, the moments we remember most weren’t necessarily the activities on the schedule.

They were the moments in between.

Sitting around camp talking with Scouts we had only just met.

Walking through the Jamboree and hearing different languages everywhere around us.

Trading badges with another Scout and learning where they came from.

Sharing meals, stories and laughs with people who, only hours earlier, had been complete strangers.

Scouts Without Borders

One of the most powerful parts of an international Jamboree is realizing that although Scouts may come from different countries and cultures, we have an incredible amount in common.

Our Scouts met young people from Iceland, Hong Kong and many other communities and countries.

There were introductions, conversations, games, activities and plenty of badge trading.

Sometimes communication required a little patience. Sometimes a smile, a handshake or a Scout badge was enough.

By the end of the week, the campground didn’t feel like thousands of strangers anymore.

It felt like one enormous Scout group.

That may have been one of the most important lessons we brought home.

The world can feel like a very big place — until you start meeting the people in it.

Proudly Representing Home

Throughout the Jamboree, we were incredibly proud to represent 1st Glen Abbey, Oakville and Canada.

Our Canadian flag flew at camp, and we even carried the Town of Oakville flag with us into the Icelandic mountains.

Thousands of kilometres from home, seeing those symbols reminded us that our adventure wasn’t only about where we had travelled.

It was also about where we came from.

We were proud to tell new friends about Oakville, about Canada and about our Scout group back home.

And every time we exchanged a Canadian pin or badge with someone from another country, we left a tiny piece of our community behind in Iceland.

What We Learned

International Scouting teaches lessons that are difficult to recreate in a classroom.

Our Scouts learned how to navigate unfamiliar places, adapt when plans changed, live together as a team and take responsibility for themselves and one another.

They learned that adventure sometimes means being tired, wet or outside your comfort zone — and doing it anyway.

They learned that you don’t need to speak the same language to become friends.

They learned to slow down, look around and appreciate where they were.

And perhaps most importantly, they discovered that they were capable of travelling halfway around the world, representing their community and finding their place within a global Scouting movement.

Those are lessons we hope will stay with them long after the tents have been packed away.

More Than a Trip

When we first started planning Iceland, it was easy to think of it as a trip.

Looking back, it became something much bigger.

It was watching our Scouts become more independent.

It was seeing them introduce themselves to someone from another country.

It was watching friendships form.

It was climbing a mountain together.

It was laughing around camp after a long day.

It was seeing our Canadian and Oakville flags flying thousands of kilometres from home.

And it was knowing that years from now, when someone asks these Scouts about their time in Scouting, there is a very good chance they’ll say:

“Let me tell you about Iceland.”

Our First International Jamboree — But Not Our Last

For more than 25 years, 1st Glen Abbey has helped young people experience adventure, friendship, leadership and community through Scouting.

Iceland added a new chapter to that story.

For the first time, our Scouts took the 1st Glen Abbey adventure onto the international stage.

We returned to Oakville with photographs, badges and plenty of stories.

But we also returned with something harder to put into a backpack: greater confidence, new friendships, a broader view of the world and memories that will last a lifetime.

To everyone who supported our Scouts and helped make this adventure possible — our families, volunteers, community partners, donors and supporters — thank you.

You helped give these young people an opportunity they will never forget.

And somewhere in Iceland, Hong Kong and beyond, there are Scouts with a little Canadian badge or pin that reminds them of some new friends they met from a Scout group called 1st Glen Abbey.