Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Staff-to-Camper ratio

Our staff-to-camper ratio is about 1:2.5. Each session, our regular residential camp is limited to 85 campers, tripping limited to 10 campers, and leadership limited to 30 campers. With approximately 50 summer camp staff on site, our intimate size allows us to build a very close-knit community. The staff know the campers by name, and they take the time to provide individual attention to each child.

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Staff Qualifications

Several of our senior staff are qualified teachers, with several years experience working at Camp Kawartha and have also worked with school groups during our outdoor education season. At a minimum our camp counsellors must be at least 17 years old AND have completed a Leadership program OR be 18 years old as of December 31st. All staff must be certified in Standard First Aid and CPR Level C, and must present a clear criminal record check.

For detailed information of what we look for in our staff, please feel free to visit our staff information section.

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Staff Return Rate

We have a high staff return rate, on average about 80%, and most of our counselors have attended Camp Kawartha as campers themselves. Our counselors return each year because of the fun, satisfaction and warm friendships from the year before.

We encourage you to review our staff profiles to learn a little more about our talented staff and why they return to Camp Kawartha.

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Camper Return Rate

On average, our return rate is 51% of which 29% return for their third or more year. New campers make up 49%, of which the majority came on referral from returning campers.

Referral Sources:

  • Referral (family, friends) - 46%
  • Word of Mouth (heard about us, live in area) - 8%
  • School / Outdoor education visit - 8%
  • Internet (search, links) - 8%
  • Advertising (magazine, newspaper, camp fair) - 6%
  • Referrals from other organizations - 4%

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Where Campers come from

The majority of our campers are from Eastern Ontario and the GTA/Toronto areas, but we also have several campers from the USA and overseas. The location of our camp in the beautiful Kawartha Lakes Region, make us popular with cottagers and vacationers visiting the area.

Campers by Zone

  • Eastern Ontario - 44%
  • Metropolitan Toronto - 21%
  • Greater Toronto Area (GTA) - 16%
  • Central Ontario - 11%
  • Southwestern Ontario - 4%
  • Other Canadian Provinces - 1%
  • USA - 2%
  • International - 1%

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Transportation

Transportation to and from camp is the responsibility of parents/guardians.
As a small camp, it is not financially feasible for us to offer busing.

The following is a list of links to help you in arranging your own transportation:

  • Nearest major airport is Pearson International Airport in Toronto

  • Nearest VIA Rail station is in Cobourg

  • Nearest Greyhound Bus station is in Peterborough

  • Taxi service between Peterborough and Camp Kawartha is available through Village Taxi at 705-652-8294

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Contacting Campers

We encourage family and friends to mail letters to your camper(s)! Check out our campermail page for detailed instructions on sending letters and email. For proper and timely delivery, please be sure to include the camper’s full name, session code and cabin in the subject line. You can find out your child’s cabin name on arrival day or by emailing us.

Does Camp Kawartha offer a visitors's Day?

Camp Kawartha does NOT have a scheduled visitors' day during any camp session and does not encourage drop-in visitors, as it can cause even the most independent camper to feel homesick.

We do strongly encourage parents to write letters to their campers, and campers are encouraged to write letters home. If this is your child's first time away from home, you are welcome to phone and leave a message for the Cabin counsellor or Summer Camp Director to check in on your child and report back to you. Calls will be returned when it does not conflict with supervisory duties. Please trust that we will contact you if there is an emergency or concern regarding your child.

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Health Care

At Camp Kawartha we always put the health and safety of our campers first. Prior to summer camp starting, the services of a local physician are obtained. This physician oversees our medical directives and is available during the summer to see our campers if the need arises. We are 15 minutes from the Lakefield ambulance station and 30 minutes from the Peterborough Regional Health Centre if a camper is in need of emergency services.

During the summer a registered nurse lives on site 24 hours a day. The RN is responsible for all medication administration and dealing with the assessment and care of all the campers and staff.

All of our counsellors are required to have current CPR and first aid certification. All counsellors are required to wear first aid packs while working at camp and are responsible for providing first aid while at camp and on trip.

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Behavior Expectations

It is our commitment to provide a rich and wonderful camping experience for all campers. To assist us in offering the best camp we possibly can, please review our camper code of conduct with your child(ren). We want to create a safe and nurturing environment for everyone!

Generally these rules fall under what we refer to as the three R's

  1. Respect others. We expect campers to treat one another, our staff, nurses and cooks with courtesy and respect.
  2. Respect yourself. Campers are expected, in accordance with their age, to take appropriate care of themselves (personal hygiene, getting sufficient sleep, dressing warmly and appropriately)
  3. Respect the environment. Camp Kawartha has over 186 acres of beautiful habitat. We want campers to be stewards of this area for future generations.

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What You and Your Camper Can Expect on the First Day (overnight campers)

Arrival day is designed to help campers make the transition from "home" to "camp" as easy as possible. Sometimes saying goodbye on the first day can be difficult for both campers and parents, especially if it is the camper's first experience away from home. As soon as the camper is registered and the luggage is with his/her counsellor, we encourage parents to leave promptly. This tends to make the transition much easier for campers. As soon as all the children of the same cabin group have arrived, the counsellor will take them to their cabin and help them settle in. Then, the camp will meet as a whole and an official welcoming will be made. This includes an introduction to the program staff and an outline of the afternoon activities.

For the rest of the afternoon, the campers rotate to various information sessions around the camp. These include:

  • A tour of the main camp area including safety and emergency procedures
  • An introduction to the various activity areas
  • Discussion of the camp's environmental policies
  • A Head-to-Toe Health Check including a head lice check (please check your child before arriving at camp)
  • Screening of swimming abilities and an outline of waterfront policies
  • Flag raising ceremony and an all-camp introduction

On the first day, free time is minimal and the counsellors watch the children very closely for any signs of uncertainty or homesickness. The first evening's program includes "get to know you" activities such as co-operative games and a campfire. The counsellors keep the campers up a little later than usual on the first night, as it is our experience that children who feel somewhat homesick will fall asleep much easier when very tired

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Homesickness

If it is your child's first time away from home, it is reasonable to assume that the child will go through a period of homesickness. Homesickness is very real and it's something that the child may need to experience in order to gain a degree of independence that helps them to develop self-confidence and self-reliance.

Camp Kawartha's staff have a primary concern for the health, safety and happiness of your child. Our counsellors are trained to detect symptoms of homesickness and we will try to the best of our abilities to help all children overcome homesickness. Occasionally, a child still finds this very difficult. We will contact you if homesickness becomes a real concern, and we will work with you and the camper to decide what is best for your child. If a decision is made to shorten the camp experience, we cannot provide any refund or credit on camp fees.

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