Preparing For Camp
We are looking forward to having you at camp this summer! The information below will help you to prepare for camp, including what to bring lists, a theme meal calendar for overnight camps, arrival and departure information, important medical documents, and more! Some information is specific to overnight camps, and some is specific to day camps.
Summer Camp Packing List
Start preparing for camp by downloading the PDF packing list and information package for your child’s program!
Theme Meals
One of the fun parts of overnight camps are the theme meals! Click the link below to see our Theme Meal calendar for Summer 2023 and some ideas on what you can wear to them. Dressing up is optional.
Theme Meal Calendar
Arriving & Departing From Camp
On the first day of a new session, registration may take up to 25 minutes.
Prior to dropping off your child daily, please use the School and Child Care Screening tool to ensure your child is able to attend camp: https://www.ontario.ca/school-screening/
If your child will be absent or late due to health or other reasons, please be sure to email [email protected] or call our office at 519-754-0171 and leave a message in the morning to let us know.
Drop Off Times:
- Last name A-M: 8:00 a.m. – 8:20 a.m.
- Last name N-Z: 8:20 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
*If you are able to drop off your camper(s) during the specified times based on your last name, it helps to reduce traffic and wait times, especially on the first day. However, you are welcome to drop your camper(s) off during either time slot based on your family’s needs.*
Pick Up Times:
- Regular Pick Up: 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
- Late Pick Up (for families who have purchased this option): 5:00 – 5:15 p.m.
If you arrive on property BEFORE 4:00 and have not made arrangements with the office for an early pick-up, please wait behind the sign. Once our sign-out staff have been given the “green light” (i.e. we have received confirmation that campers have collected their belongings and are at their designated pick-up spot, and that the road-way is clear of campers), we will begin sign-out.
Please be prepared to show ID at pick-up. Only people on your approved list will be permitted to pick up your camper (we will verify this list at sign in on the first day and give you a slip of paper of paper to show at pick-up that says you have been approved for pick-up to help speed up the process). If you forget to bring the slip of paper or there is a different authorized person doing pick-up that hasn’t been given a slip, we will ask to see ID.
Any early pick-ups MUST be pre-arranged with our office. We offer early pick-up times at 12:45 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. based on transition times in our camp schedules.
On the first day of a new session, registration may take up to 40 minutes .
Prior to dropping off your child, please use the School and Child Care Screening tool to ensure your child is able to attend camp: https://www.ontario.ca/school-screening/
Sunday Drop Off Times:
- 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Dinner will be served after sign in.
Friday Pick Up Times:
- 6:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Please have your ID ready for pick-up. Campers can only be released to individuals named on the camp registration form or otherwise confirmed with our office.
**LIT Specific Information**
LIT Training Program: LITs should arrive at camp on Sunday, July 2nd between 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and be picked up on Friday, July 7th between 6:15 – 7:00 p.m. as described above. LITs should return on Sunday, July 9th between 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and picked up on Friday, July 14th between 6:15 – 7:00 p.m.
LIT Placement Week: LITS who will be participating in their placement week immediately following the completion of the two week in-course portion should arrive on Sunday, July 16th in time for our staff meeting at 2 p.m. They should be picked up on Friday, July 21st at 8:30 p.m after our end of the week staff meeting. Alternative dates can be arranged if needed.
Weekends: If your family lives more than 1.5 hours away and transportation may be difficult, contact our office to discuss a potential weekend stayover. Otherwise, LITs should go home to do laundry, rest, and prepare for their return.
Medical Care & Policies
Please notify our office if there are any updates to your child’s medical, allergy, or dietary information prior to camp.
All medications (including puffers, epipens, vitamins, etc.) must be handed into the Camp Nurse during registration along with appropriate medication forms (see below).
Overnight Campers will have a lice check during sign-in. Campers with lice or nits will need to return home to remove all lice and nits before being allowed to return to camp. While we understand that not all nits are “live” there is no way for us to determine if a nit is live or not, and as such no nits may be present. To make the process run more smoothly, we recommend that campers come with their hair down or in a simple ponytail.
Day Campers will not have a lice check, but will wear a polypropylene bouffant hairnet during each helmeted activity to reduce potential transmission.
Click below for specific policies and information:
Meals, Snacks, and Canteen
Explore Day Campers who have purchased the “Daily Canteen Package 1” ($7.50) will receive a freezie and a drink (juice box or water) each afternoon. Explore Day Campers who have purchased the “Daily Canteen Package 2” ($22.50) will receive a bag of chips, a sweet treat (eg. chocolate bar, candy, or freezie), and a drink (juice box or water) each afternoon.
Extreme Day Campers who have purchased the “Daily Canteen Package 1” ($10) will receive a freezie and a drink (juice box, water, or pop) each afternoon. Day Campers who have purchased the “Daily Canteen Package 2” ($25) will receive a bag of chips, a sweet treat (eg. chocolate bar, candy, or freezie), and a drink (juice box, water, or pop) each afternoon.
Families that are opting out of the canteen packages should pack a nut-free afternoon snack from home instead.
Log in to add canteen or hot dog lunch options up to four days before your child’s week of camp begins. After this time, you will need to contact our office to add these options. Please note that the cost of the canteen packages will be the same, even if it is added partway through the week. It may take up to 24 hours for your child’s name to be added to the canteen list when purchasing a canteen package after a session has begun.
The canteen is open daily for Overnight Campers to purchase snacks. Tuck deposits are taken in advance and be placed in an account that your child can use throughout the week. Any unspent money above $3 will be returned on the last day.
Contact our office or log in to add a Tuck Deposit. We recommend only adding money for 1 week at a time if your child is attending multiple camp sessions. Suggested amount is $3 – $5/ day.
Communication During Overnight Camp
Mail: Many families like to pre-write letters or put together parcels for their child while they are camp. We have a daily mail delivery service at camp, so letters and parcels can be dropped off during sign-in (please be sure any food items in parcels are nut-free).
Care Packages: Families can order care packages as a thoughtful way to remind your camper that you are thinking of them while they are away. Click here to browse through the various care packages and special items you can order.
E-mail: Families can also pay for email-credits to send one-way emails to their kid while they are at camp.
Photos: We know you will miss your child while they are at camp, so we have a photo program for our overnight camps to give you a bit of a glimpse into what is going on at camp. A password to access the photos will be provided to you on the first day of camp. You should see your child in 2-3 photos during the week.
Cell Phones and Internet: Campers aren’t permitted to keep cell phones or other electronic devices with them while at camp and won’t have access to wifi. Campers should leave their devices at home, with the exception of some of our Teen Week & Leadership Campers (see below). Please contact our office if you need a message passed along to your child.
Teen Week, Crew Camp, and LIT campers will be given the option to hand in devices at registration to be stored during the week. These campers will be given 2 allotted times throughout the week to sign out their devices. They will not have access to wi-fi. Devices not checked in will be held in the office for the duration of the camper’s session. We are not responsible for loss or damage.
Telephone: We have one phone line at camp, which is used by our main office. If a camper inquires about calling home, we will reach out to parents first before having them make a call home. If a child is struggling with homesickness, we will call or email you to let you know how they are feeling and come up with an action plan together (i.e. setting up phone calls, going home for a night, etc.). In case of emergency calls, to or from parents, the camp director or office staff will relay messages as quickly as possible and have your child talk to you if needed.
