Here it is 52, yes 52 years, since i first started at camp with Stan and Laura Belle...we went to their home in Kitchener from Windsor, met up with other campers and continued with the Hodgins on to Wanapitei ...as a small child it was hard the first time, but over the next seven years it was the best experiences of my life. To this day, I remember camp like it was yesterday. It shaped me into the person i am today, and i am forever grateful. We have a cottage,and I still canoe and appreciate all that mother nature has to offer. Thanks again Wanapitei!
Each session our Wilderness Leaders in Training take part in a seven day moving-water clinic run by an ORCKA certified instructor. This past summer our August WLIT group traveled to the Dumoine River, where they had the opportunity to learn new paddling skills. All of the campers worked extremely hard and achieved levels through the ORCKA program.
To mark the beginning of each session, we like to welcome the campers with an Opening Campfire. The Wanapitei staff truly enjoys nothing more than dressing-up in costumes and leading the campers in both new and old songs and skits. Whether a camper is at his or her first or fifth campfire they are guaranteed to have fun.
This past July, our Temagami campers (ages 10-11) set out on a six day canoe trip in the Temagami area. The group left from Wanapitei and paddled to Diamond Lake, with its ancient pictographs, and into the famous Lady Evelyn Lake. From there they paddled up the south channel of Lady Evelyn to Center Falls. At Center Falls the group took a well deserved break from paddling and the heat. An afternoon of playing in the water at the base of the falls was exactly what the group needed before they began their journey back to the shores of Sandy Inlet and Wanapitei.
This past summer a group of 12 Voyageur II campers and two leaders set off at the beginning of July for the Yukon Territories. The group flew to Whitehorse and then took a shuttle to the South MacMillian River, where they began their 50 day adventure.
From the South MacMillian, the group began a challenging up-stream portion that brought them to the South Nahanni River. After paddling down the South Nahanni for a few days, they headed up-stream to the Natla River. The group followed the Natla to the Keele River and ultimately to the MacKenzie and their final destination of Norman Wells.
The group traveled through two territories, completed two challenging up-streams, and paddled some amazing whitewater. Their stories and pictures of the landscapes they saw are absolutely breathtaking. The trip truly was the experience of a lifetime.
I completed the Wanapitei Leader in Training program and it was the best summer of my life so far. I was having adventures with my best friends, doing worthwhile work and learning a wide variety of new skills that will serve me well in whatever path I choose to follow. Most importantly for me, however, is that I spent almost every day, 24 hours a day, with my friends; creating together, supporting each other and learning from each other. Another thing that made it significant is that I spent time as a counselor and got to share what I love about camp with young children. The only downside was having to go back to school after such a fabulous summer.
