Brigs began in 1962 as Toronto Brigantine, a charitable organization. Our founding tenets were the development of leadership, discipline, and citizenship in a maritime environment. The men and women who founded Toronto Brigantine believed that exposure to the challenge of the sea-going lifestyle could benefit young people.

Our original vessel, Pathfinder, was commissioned in 1964 and Playfair joined the organization in 1973. From the beginning, ‘building character through adventure’ has been the primary objective of Brigs.

Since Brigs began, thousands of young people have participated in our character building programs. By working together, sailing, and managing our square-rigged ships, these young people have discovered important lessons about life. More importantly, they’ve discovered themselves. They have learned how satisfying and fun it is to contribute. Our purpose is the provision of an environment, aboard ship and in the Winter Program that fosters and rewards self-confidence, teamwork, responsibility, custodianship and leadership in youth.