Holly Leclair left Tuesday for Toronto, and from there she and her fellow Girl Guides will fly to London, England for a two and a half week adventure.

Leclair, who will be in Grade 12 this fall, was one of 14 Girl Guides chosen to represent Canada at Footsteps of the Founders Camp for Guides aged 14-16. The camp will be held at Pax Lodge, one of the four World Lodges of the Girl Guides.

The 16-year-old Leclair has been involved with Girl Guides for 11 years and is now a Girl Guide cadet. She had to compete at area, provincial and national levels of the application process in order to earn a spot with the Canadian delegation. Selection was based on a number of criteria, including volunteer experience, camping experience, academics and involvement in school and community activities.

"This was the first trip offered in two years, and the competition was very steep. These are very well-rounded girls; they're very lucky to have these opportunities," said Holly's mother, Violet Leclair, who has been actively involved with the Weyburn Girl Guides. "It's going to be an incredible experience. I'm excited for Holly."

All of the Canadian delegates will meet in Toronto to prepare a presentation on Canada to take to England. From Toronto, the 14 Guides and their two leaders will fly to London, England. Guides from different parts of the world will also be at Pax Lodge, giving the camp a truly multicultural flavor.

In England, the girls will a chance to see some of London's famous sights, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and the London theaters. There will also be time for recreation such as rock climbing, canoeing, swimming, campfires and camping on Brownsea Island. But sightseeing is not the only thing Holly Leclair is looking forward to about this trip.

"I hope to meet new friends from different part of the world and have fun and see some neat things. I'm pretty excited. We get some free time, and I hope to shop and go to Piccadilly Circus. I'm looking forward to shopping; European clothes are cool," she said before she left. She also expects the people's accents, driving on the other side of the road and double-decker buses to be an interesting change from life in Canada.

Holly Leclair's trip is funded in part by the area, district and national levels of the Canadian Girl Guides. Leclair also contributed to the fund-raising by delivering Sears catalogues with the Lions club and selling composters with the City of Weyburn's environment committee.