Our Mission, Vision & Founder

Adventure knows no bounds.

The Cariboo wild belongs to everyone — and a registered non-profit built to prove it, one barrier-free journey at a time.

Our Mission

Dismantling the barriers between people and the wild.

We are a registered non-profit organization dedicated to dismantling the barriers between the deep wilderness and individuals with disabilities.

“Jakira,” meaning gift in Swahili, speaks to the hope, love, and purpose behind our work. We believe that disability should never limit a person's ability to experience joy, freedom, and the beauty of adventure. On Quesnel Lake we create opportunities for wheelchair users and people with disabilities to go beyond barriers, discover new possibilities, and feel the deep sense of empowerment that comes from truly living without limits.

Our Vision

Making the unreachable reachable.

We would like to purchase land on Quesnel Lake, large enough to build several accessible cabins where people with disabilities can experience the beauty, freedom, and peace of the lake in a way that has not been possible before.

Our vision is to see the joy on people's faces as they travel up the lake to spend a night — or several nights — along a quiet shoreline, surrounded by wilderness, open sky, and calm water. There, away from city lights and noise, guests will be able to look up at a sky full of stars and listen only to the gentle sound of water lapping against the shore.

This place would make the unreachable reachable — bringing peace and serenity to the soul, and opening the door to happiness, excitement, and wonder that many were once denied. It would be more than a retreat; it would be a chance to feel free, included, and fully alive in the beauty of nature.

Founder Lawrence Dunkley with Jakira, his dog, in an old-growth forest in the Cariboo

The Founder

Lawrence Dunkley's story.

Our journey began when our founder, Lawrence Dunkley, an avid angler and outdoor enthusiast, realized how quickly a spinal injury or chronic illness could erase someone's access to the healing power of nature.

Refusing to accept that the deep woods should be exclusive, he set out to build a barrier-free sanctuary where families and individuals could relax, fish for giant rainbow trout, and explore Quesnel Lake without limitations. Today the Jakira Foundation is just getting started — with a wilderness cabin, a pontoon boat, and a growing list of equipment to fund.

“Nature heals. No one should be turned away at the trailhead.” — Lawrence Dunkley, Founder

Our Core Values

What guides every decision we make.

Dignity in Adventure

We believe high-adventure experiences should never require compromising personal independence.

Empathetic Engineering

We design every square inch of our property alongside people with lived disability experiences.

Radical Inclusion

We welcome individuals across all ability spectrums, creating shared, barrier-free memories for entire families.

Why Guests Trust Us

Built on honesty and purpose.

A registered non-profit. We exist to remove barriers, not to profit — every stay, tour, and excursion will be offered at no cost to participants.
A real starting point. We already have a wilderness cabin in the Cariboo mountains and a pontoon boat on Quesnel Lake — the home base for everything we're building next.
Designed with lived experience. We're planning every accessibility upgrade alongside people with lived disability experience, so nothing is an afterthought.
Honest about where we are. As a startup, we'll always be clear about what's ready today and what your support is helping us build.

Press & Partnerships

Working together to break barriers.

Are you a journalist, an adaptive-recreation organization, or a potential partner who shares our belief that adventure belongs to everyone? We'd love to connect.

Donors & Partners Get in Touch