5
"She developed confidence, wilderness skills, and leadership skills."
As a parent, knowing the butterflies that come with going away to camp the first time, I was comforted by watching the phenomenal staff at NWL surrounding my daughter from the moment she was greeted a... Read full review I went to Camp Northway myself and loved! Yes, Camp Northway is an experience that you take with you forever.
We chose Camp Northway because we valued the wilderness opportunity to build skills and confidence and friendships.... My daughter loved the waterfront activities, specifically swimming, canoeing and kayaking. The staff was well trained and campers can earn camp merit certificates for their stages of accomplishment in canoeing, kayaking, swimm... My child made new friends at camp. Each year every child is given a new tent with tent mates and a counsellor. I didn’t hear of any issues related to inclusion.
There was always someone available to lend a helping hand or o... My child learned how to kayak and canoe at camp. She was proud of her canoe tripping which was a completely new experience. It pushed her out of her comfort zone and proved to her she could do it! She loved the skit and had fu... The counsellors were very friendly, warm, and welcoming. There were lots of emails before going to camp sharing information and a packing list.
They made my daughter feel as if it was her second home. The first summer my daug... NWL has a very helpful packing list. Campers should be able to carry their pack on their back because they will need it for canoe trips. A campfire chair will be an addition to next year’s kit. It might be helpful for a firs... I think that it’s a really great opportunity to go to Camp Northway in Algonquin Park. The wilderness at NWL teaches a love and respect for the environment that you can’t find anywhere else. A chance to unplug and connect ... |
all_reviews parent |
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, |
5
"It exposed her to another way of life and a part of herself she didn't know was there."
My oldest daughter loved Northway and this past summer was her second year at camp. She made wonderful friends and enjoyed spending over three weeks in Algonquin Park. My younger daughter will go to N... Read full review My family has been attending Northway for three generations. My father was a canoe-tripping guide and his sister a camper. My sister and I were campers at Northway and had wonderful experiences. My sister became a counsellor a... My daughter loves the canoe tripping, swimming and the drama program at Northway. There is an activity for all interest groups.
Northway has counsellors who specialize in certain areas such as canoeing, swimming, sailing, and... My child made many new friends. She is looking forward to reconnecting with them in the summer and making new friends. My daughter enjoyed the social dynamics at camp and that she had the opportunity to deepen friendships on c... My daughter's swimming skills improved. She is a noticeably stronger swimmer after taking swimming lessons at camp. The swimming levels do not reflect the lifesaving society levels however the same skills were taught. The play... The small staff-to-camper ratio. There is one counsellor for every 3 campers. Lots of supervision and support is available. I believe this is particularly important for younger campers. A counsellor sleeps in the same tent as ... I found it important to label all the clothes, back packs, sleeping bags etc. We may invest in a trip back pack for the coming season as having a back pack with a strap around the waist keeps pressure off the shoulder which is... Send letters/care packages early to ensure your daughter receives them while at camp. Especially if they are going for a week or two it is important to plan ahead as post can be slow.
Northway is a unique summer camp. The ex... |
all_reviews parent |
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, |
4.9
"The camp culture embodies the motto of 'The seeing eye and the willing hand.'"
My daughter has attended Northway for two summers (ages 8 and 9) and continues to talk frequently about how much she can't wait to go back. Not only did she develop and deepen friendships with peers h... Read full review We chose the camp for the beautiful setting (Cache Lake, Algonquin Park), the emphasis on building confidence in the outdoors, and the long history of the camp. We appreciate the focus on service, responsibility, care for the ... Our daughter was at first a bit nervous about the overnight canoeing trips, but ended up with a sense of great accomplishment and adventure having experienced them. She enjoyed working towards "merits" in different areas, incl... Our daughter came home having strengthened existing friendships and built more from her time at camp. I appreciate that the older campers and counselors seem to go out of their way to build relationships with the younger campe... Our daughter had not previously camped before camp and returned knowing how to set up a tent, collect firewood, build a fire, navigate better with a map, and help prepare meals. She had been in a canoe a few times previously b... Our daughter has expressed affection and appreciation for the staff and counselors at the camp. She has written letters to several counselors with whom she has bonded. The communication from the camp was clear, welcoming, and ... We found the packing list to be appropriate and well-matched to what was needed at camp. I think if a first-time camper followed the packing list closely, they would have everything they needed. It is definitely important to h... My advice would be to ensure that your daughter understands that there will be no electricity at camp. That is a huge gift to us all to be technologically disconnected and instead focused on in-person relationships and activit... |
all_reviews parent |
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, |
5
"The sheer beauty of Northway stays with her throughout the year"
Camp Northway is the absolute best! There are so many great features of Camp Northway. My daughter speaks of the sheer beauty of the place and how it stays with her throughout the year. Mostly, she... Read full review I went to Camp Northway when I was young. The camp is the same as when I went all those years ago - a rarity of beauty and wilderness. Even though we live far away, we still make the effort to go to this camp because it is s... My daughter enjoyed the trips the most. This is something she had never done before going to the camp. This is where the campers go out for several days canoeing, portaging, and camping in the wilderness. While the trips ar... Yes, it is easy to make friends at this camp. There are three campers plus one counselor per tent. There are a variety of age groups in the camp (but per tent are similar age groups). There are points throughout the day wher... My daughter has learned how to canoe - first mastering bow and then mastering stern. The camp has a step-by-step methodical approach to obtaining certification, which is motivational. She also learned to sail and wilderness ... The staff has always been responsive and welcoming. I have had many questions before the camp began and sometimes questions while the camp started. They are definitely responsive (slower when camp begins, which they say ahea... All items on their detailed and helpful packing list were necessary. I would additionally pack a crazy creak camping chair (or similar), and make sure to have a warm blanket (don't rely on the sleeping bag for the in-camp sle... I am so glad I sent my daughter to this camp. It provided her experiences and knowledge that are quite unusual in this modern era and will have a positive and lasting impact throughout her life. I think this camp is special.... |
all_reviews parent |
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, |
5
"The small, close culture of the camp really creates a unique and comforting experience."
Having never been to this camp before, or an overnight camp for this long, my daughter was both excited and nervous. I attended this camp as a counselor for two years in '91 and '92, so she's heard m... Read full review We chose this camp for her because I had been a counselor at this camp for two years in high school and absolutely loved it. I had spent my grade school and middle school years attending various summer camps in Algonquin Park... The itinerary is really well planned as it gives time for the girls to have downtime and just enjoy the wilderness experience, whether it's on the dock reading, chatting with friends or downtime in the tent each day. It reall... My daughter made some really close friends that she continues to stay in touch with on social media. We live in California, so I just love that my U.S. born daughter is making friends with some Canadian girls and learning som... Definitely learning to canoe and go out on a trip was new to my daughter. She's been paddleboarding before and tent camping, but not yet canoeing. She was really proud that she learned to "bow" and try to keep the canoe out o... Brookes and Joan Prewitt were directors of the camp when I was a counselor and Becca Prewitt was just 8 years old or so! So, to be able to meet her as an adult as the current director, when I dropped off my daughter at the bu... My daughter asked to buy for next summer a "Crazy Creek" chair that can fold up and pack away but would be great to sit on the dock for reading and be able to have back support. She brought an air pad for her canoe trip but d... For someone that's been a camper at several large camps in Algonquin Park growing up and then being a counselor at Northway for two years, my Northway memories are definitely what I hold near and dear. They have shaped my lov... |
all_reviews parent |
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, |
5
"I was happy but not surprised that Naomi had the time of her life.... It's a magical place!"
Naomi was a little nervous about going to overnight camp her first season. She was a shy child, and a bit introverted, and we weren't sure how she would respond to a completely new social environment.... Read full review I had been at Northway as a camper 35 years earlier, and my summers there were some of the happiest of my life. Unlike other camps my friends attended, Northway was not regimented or overly-programmed. There were always lots o... My daughter is in love with the natural world, so I knew that the opportunity to do some serious canoe-tripping and discover Algonquin Park would be a wonderful experience for her. She also discovered that she enjoyed kayakin... Naomi, despite being quite a shy girl, came home feeling that she'd made lots of friends. In the four summers she has been there, she has never mentioned any kind of social exclusion or bullying. Having such a small camper: co... Naomi became more confident in a canoe and as a wilderness tripper. Being in the lake every day was also great for her swimming. And she discovered sailing and kayaking as well. Socially, she developed noticeably more confiden... I had only very brief exchanges with the counsellors at the bus drop-off and pick-up, but since my daughter is their biggest fan, so am I! They really do seem to do a wonderful job of creating a warm, caring atmosphere where t... The camp packing list is excellent. They really do have it down to a fine art. We didn't find there was anything missing, or anything unnecessary. Having said that, our daughter was really happy this past summer when we sent h... Summers at Northway were some of the happiest of my childhood -- and now they're the happiest of my daughter's childhood. If your daughter enjoys being immersed in the natural world and relishes the freedom to choose her own a... |
all_reviews parent |
1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9, |
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