Wabanaki War Canoe

A Message from VP of KW YMCA Camping Callum McKee

Callum McKee

One of the great things about working in the camping field is the
families we regularly meet, and the relationships we enjoy with many generations of campers and staff. We have so many families with long histories with KW YMCA Camping and recently, we shared the story of one of these families...meet the McCullochs of Wabanaki.

2014 was a very exciting and busy year for us. As many of you know, along with our regular registration of over 2100 weeks of overnight camp plus 1000 Belwood/Ki-Wa-Y day campers, hiring of 205+ camp staff and prepping to open our summer camps, we celebrated milestone camp anniversaries with a huge Reunion in April at Bingemans. Click here to view event photos.

Once again, I would like to say a big "thank you" to all the alumni who have supported, and continue to support our camp projects and sponsorships. Year after year, our campers and staff return to, or are introduced to the KW YMCA summer camp sites which are updated, renovated and the recipients of new equipment and building projects. We all know first-hand what a camping experience can mean during childhood and young adulthood, and it is wonderful and satisfying that together, we can continue to provide this very worthwhile experience for so many.

We are also very grateful to Gore Mutual who celebrated their 175-year Anniversary, and in honour of this significant milestone, showed their support toward the YMCA camping experience by donating a whopping $175,000 to Y camps across Ontario and BC. We are so thankful and proud to be among the recipients of a generous $30,000 donation, with each of our three camps receiving $10,000 to enhance our boating programs. To learn more about this fantastic gift, check out the video by clicking here. Be sure to read Dave, Caitie and Stef's pages to see what Wab, Ki-Wa-Y and Belwood will be doing with their gift.

Although the weather has turned and we have moved into another season, the Ki-Wa-Y site (aka the Outdoor Centre) continues with year-round programming , as we welcome guests from school boards, church groups, special interest groups, sports teams, and others. We know it is often hard to grasp outside the camping office, we are deep into preparation for the summer of 2015 at Camps Belwood, Ki-Wa-Y & Wabanaki, and as always, looking forward to another fantastic year!

To you and your family, I wish you a happy and safe holiday season ahead!

Callum

Dave (Woody) Jackson

Camp Wabanaki Director

Another summer has come to an end and although the weather was wetter and cooler than most years, the community of Wabanaki campers and staff still mastered new skills, and enjoyed new and seasoned friendships along with that special feeling of belonging to something truly unique.

As many of you know, the A-frames were renovated into single cabins for girls. These amazing new cabins housed our young Pioneer campers very comfortably this summer! This is also the year that we housed the Rangers in the newly built girls' cabin. Click here to see the construction of this new cabin. Thank you Amatol & Bacchanal!

The 90 Wabanaki staff members once again participated in... Read more

Caitie Wright (Lloyd)

Camp Ki-Wa-Y Director

Despite the cool and rainy weather, we had a great summer at Ki-Wa-Y!

With 98% of our staff members returning from the previous year, I had an incredible team that focused on a strength based approach, which builds on individual successes of campers.

Each year, I recognize Ki-Wa-Y staff members' outstanding leadership with the "Spirit of Camping Award," and this year I am thrilled to tell you that there were 6 recipients. This award is given to staff members who go above and beyond their job description and demonstrate a commitment to making camp a great place. These staff members are hardworking, dedicated and truly love camp. Thank you and congratulations to this year's recipients.

Ki-Wa-Y staff continued to demonstrate their commitment and generosity...Read more

Stefanie Feth

Camp Belwood Director

2014 was a busy year for Camp Belwood with the completion of new picnic shelter and a plywood sub floor in the dining hall. The picnic shelter was very well used by all campers/staff and it especially created
a good home base for Belwood's day camp. Thank you to the Harkins/Manning family for making this new program area possible. It's an awesome addition to the site! Thanks to Bacchanal who completed our sub floor in the dining hall...such a great improvement!

Once again, this year's Belwood staff members were very generous at our Staff Auction, raising $3001 for the Camp Fund. Since we began the annual staff auction in 2008, Belwood staff members have raised a grand total of 14,570.51. Not bad for a small staff of 30-40!

2014 Camp Alumni Family Days/Weekend

Camp Belwood - Sunday, June 14, 2015

Camp Ki-Wa-Y - Sunday, May 31, 2015

Camp Wabanaki - Friday, June 5 to Sunday June 8, 2015

These days at Belwood and Ki-Wa-Y are no longer work related, but purely opportunities for our alumni to socialize with friends and spend time with with their families. Return to camp and enjoy some time together swimming, boating, playing on the tarmac, and doing archery, ropes or crafts. Enjoy a bbq lunch with other camp folk and their families before heading home a little later in the afternoon.

Don't delay, REGISTER NOW for Belwood, Ki-Wa-Y or Wabanaki events.

Give the Gift of Camp

Pay it Forward...Give the Gift of Camp

Are you planning to give a special gift this holiday season? Wondering what you can do to help and enhance a young child's camping experience this coming summer? Two giving opportunities that will make a difference!

The Camp Fund - For more information and to DONATE NOW
Latest Camp Projects - For more information and to DONATE NOW

K-W YMCA Camp Staff Alumni

FACEBOOK, TWITTER & WEBSITE

Have you found us on Facebook? Click here (even if you do not have a facebook account you can view and share this page)

This page was created for camp staff alumni who have worked at Camp Belwood, Ki-Wa-Y or Wabanaki and would like to reconnect with their camp and camp friends. We hope you find a few people or photos which will make you smile and chuckle at a memory, inspire you to reconnect with your camp roots, and bring you back revisiting the page time and time again...and don't forget to also follow us on Twitter @kwycamps and revisit our Camp Alumni website often.

YMCA Strong Kids Campaign

Every year the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign helps local children and youth of families in financial need participate in many areas of our YMCA, including an overnight summer camp experience.

Your donation to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign stays in your community. To support a child or family in our region, call 519-584-7479 or click here.

"Day is done. Gone the sun. From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh."

K-W YMCA Camping - Morning Dip - Nov 2014