Alumni News!

Sunday, February 8, 2004

I am trying to find out exactly which summer my mother, Peggy Black, was camp nurse. It was in the 1930s—possibly '37 or '38. She trained at TGH and then U of T. Then she went overseas with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, No. 1 Canadian Hospital. I would like to connect with anyone who may have known her at camp. Thanks!

Rose Fleming-Featherstone
Bracebridge, Ontario
Wapomeo Staff 1974-1977, September Camp 1977-present,
Parent of Wapomeo campers Annie & Katie

Sunday, January 18, 2004

Well, the freezing sludge is falling outside my window so what better time to think of summer in Algonquin (or Temagami, or Quetico...). My 3 year old is running around with her compass and wanting to "camp out" so this summer we will start with the woods around the neighbourhood. Maybe in a few years, I can get her to the Park and, hopefully, encourage her to spend a month at Wap.

What a great web site and I look forward to keeping in better touch.

David Lane
Manassas, Virginia
Camper (79-83), Staff (84-90)
Please visit http://www.speakeasy.net/~bagend/

Sunday, December 7, 2003

I spent one summer as camp nurse at Wapomeo in the summer of 1987 with nurse Christine Kavanagh. I would love to know where Christine is. Last time I saw her was on a TVO documentary, she was working in a Toronto hospital.

Wapomeo was a wonderful experience for me. I am married with 4 boys ages 4-9. I found this alumni site while looking for Camps for my boys. My camp search lead me to another friend from Wapomeo—Henri Audet. It was wonderful to reconnect after many years.

I often think about the amazing time I had on Canoe Lake, and the staff and campers I had the pleasure of working with.

Debbie (Kay) Baumgart
just north of Barrie, Ontario
Wapomeo nurse 1987

Monday, December 1, 2003

Greetings from Toronto where I am writing from my painfully overly urban office, where for the last year I have been design consulting, and producing CAD work for a custom fabrication company. Anyway Yad Yad Yad ... I was just looking for some pictures of good old Algonquin when I inadvertently managed to stumble here.

Reading some of these messages instantly took me back to the spiritually uplifting summers on Canoe Lake. The nights spent indulging in lesser known, more covert camp activities, while playing cards and discussing on the various topics ranging from Wap, to HipHop. Then of course the ever so fun parties at Swamp Top (Wolf Tang Clan!), Cliff Dwellers (the farewell bash for Greg is one I will remember), and even the nights spend atop Huntsville, not knowing how good it really was.

But aside the Lakes, Parties, and Wap girls ... it was the people that I really remember. The boys from Quetico 95 (the only ones might I add), the many many people I did trips with as a CIT, and of course the friends that still make me laugh, smile, blush today just thinking about them.

Take care TSC; maybe we should have a reunion some time.?!

Casey Baldwin
Toronto, Ontario
Ahmek camper for 4 years, staff for 2 years during the 1990s
Please visit http://www.caseybaldwin.gq.nu

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

My father William Edward Guest was born July 10, 1910. He attended Camp Ahmek along with his brother James. They were from Toronto.

I am interested in learning what year(s) they attended camp, and any other information that can be found.

Caroline Loft
Scarborough, Ontario

Monday, November 17, 2003

Caspar Weston,
Skeets Bastedo Weston
and James Parry
came to Canada from
England to attend
Holly and Roy Stewart's
100th (combined 50th) birthday party on November 15, 2003.

Holly Stewart
Toronto, Ontario

Thursday, October 30, 2003

Finally... demolition of the Old Wap Lodge has begun. Presently, the camp has employed a team of 7 to bring down the existing lodge. Work has been in progress since Monday (most of the roof and sides have been removed). The entire building should be down by the middle of next week! A new lodge will be resurrected commencing the first week in May 2004, weather permitting. This new building will be a magnificent addition to the TSC infrastructure, and I invite all to refer back to this website for more updates.

Taylor C. Statten
Toronto, Ontario
Business Director - TSC

Friday, October 10, 2003

I am very happy to report two things. First, my book Algonquin Voices - Selected Stories of Canoe Lake Women has won the Ontario Historical Society's 2002 Alison Prentice Award for best women's history book published in the last 3 years. It had great reviews this summer in the Muskoka Magazine, Vintage Muskoka, and the Huntsville Forester's Summer Passport MagazIne.

In addition, my newest project, a murder mystery party game about the disappearance and death of Tom Thomson, is about to go into production. With luck, it will be ready and available for TSC folks to see at the Gala. I've now got a web site up at www.globalinkage.net/canoelake for all of my books, maps and (now) games.

Gaye Clemson
Capitola, California
Camper, and staff, 1967-1976
Please visit http://www.globalinkage.net/canoelake

Sunday, September 28, 2003

I spent two summers (1987 and 1988) as a Big Wapomeo Guide and those two summers still influence me strongly. I have sought the wilderness ever since. My paddle is still displayed in my den with original artwork by Allen "?", the designated camp artist of 1987.

My wife and I spent the last four years in Nome, Alaska and I am now in Utah in the capacity of wilderness therapist at a program called Walkabout. My heart is often warmed by the memories of Wapomeo and the canoe routes that I traveled with counselors and campers.

I penned some poetry as way of allowing these memories to endure. Here is one of my poems from that era.

Lehi, Utah
Wapomeo Guide 1987-88

Monday, September 15, 2003

Reading this dispatch from Spain is reminding me of my visit with Hamburg law student and fellow Quetico96er Johann Rueping in the south of Portugal last summer (2002). Sitting on the villa porch puffing away on cigars with porto, we had a hell of a time reminiscing.

As for me, I finished my first degree at Guelph in International Development in the spring, and after a patrol up the BC coast to Alaska, it now looks as though I'm winding down my career with the Navy (which has sustained me in my summers since camp). After October, I'll be living, working and volunteering in South America for the next 6 months to a year or so, and possibly in China after that.

In the meantime, I'm in Toronto, so if anyone from Q96 is around, look me up! All my contact info is now posted (and continually updated) at http://www.johnbolducarthur.ca

Cheers!

John "Johnboy" Arthur
Toronto, Ontario
Camper 1991-96, Staff 1997-99
Please visit http://www.johnbolducarthur.ca

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

I just want to say that camp is the best thing I have done in my life. This summer I visited my camp friend Paty Pietrini in Mexico and we both almost cried talking about our summers. I haven't kept in touch with my Quetico cabin, so if some of you: Tess, Lindsay, Viv, Jen and Preston see this message, please write. I often imagine the day I go back to that wonderful lake. I keep singing camp songs!!!

Carmen Rives
Madrid, España
Camper 1990-1996

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

I remember listening to Mark Robinson thrill us with his stories of the woods while he was carving a cane, the pounding of the CIT's feet on the wood floor in the dining hall to keep us supplied with plenty of hot food, the "Bathtub" towing the pirate ship around the lake with us aboard, jumping in the cold water with a bar of soap, the 2 week canoe trips we took, how heavy the canoes and packs were.

Greg Hicks
Winter Park, Florida
Camper starting in 1948 for 7 years

Monday, July 7, 2003

It's been a long time since I've thought of camp, but after 5 years of living in Japan, I get out those old pictures I brought, I show them to my students and they ask who the kids are. To my Kiowas from July and August 1988, especially you Sandra Tritt, if you ever want to see just how young you once were, please look me up.

Dianne Lane
Fujisawa, Japan
Camper and Staff 1979-1989

Tuesday, June 3, 2003

I am organizing tables for any of my era group (1950s and early 1960s) for Dr. Tay's Tribute Dinner, November 1. I've e-mailed as many as I can find on the Alumni Directory, and others.

Want to be a part of this young, sophisticated, demure, notorious group of tables? Well—get your canoe in gear and send in your reservation form! On the form state with whom you'd like to sit, or, if you've been out of touch but want to be with this group simply put my name down and I'll make sure you're with somebody you knew 'way back when. Call or e-mail me if you like—love to hear from you! In the meantime, get on the pipe and encourage others to come to this great event.

I'm an out-of-towner and plan to stay in a hotel in downtown Toronto. I would be happy to look into special group rates for anyone else who would like a room. Let me know how many rooms and for whom ASAP. I'll see what I can do.

Sue "Swebbs" Ebbs
Bradford, Ontario
905-775-7688

Wednesday, May 7, 2003

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update. I've spent the past year in South America teaching English in Brasil, and then traveling through Central and South America for 6 months! I hiked across the Andes 4 times, and really wished my tripping friends had been with me. Sean W., you would have especially loved it!

I'm back in DC with my fiancée; we get married in August in Seattle. For those of you in Toronto, drop me a line. I'm with sales for US Airways, so it's no big deal to fly up for a night on the town. First round's on me!

Joshua Krohn
Washington, DC
Camper and Staff 1970s, 1980s

Thursday, May 1, 2003

Blake Papsin will perform at Hugh's Room (Toronto) on Friday, May 9th. Blake was a camper and staff member at Ahmek and Wapomeo in the 1970s and early '80s. For more information, please visit http://www.hughsroom.com.

Linda Leckie
Toronto, Ontario

Thursday, April 17, 2003

Greetings Canoe Lake Friends,

It is with the greatest of joy that I let you all know that I recently got a letter from the Ontario Historical Society advising me that Algonquin Voices—Selected Stories of Canoe Lake Women has won the prestigious 2002 Alison Prentice Award for the best book on women's history published within the last three years. Needless to say, this award gives my writing career a great boost. There will be a special awards ceremony on May 4th in Toronto—just in time for Ice Out.

So spread the word and maybe some day Chapters will stock it in their stores. For now it's available by calling me at (831) 464-8130, at a few bookstores in the Huntsville area (see my website www.globalinkage.net/canoelake for details) and online at www.cottagecountrybooks.com, www.pastforward.ca, www.trafford.com, chapters.indigo.ca, and of course some of the USA online book stores such as amazon.com and booksense.com.

Ciao for now and see you all in a few months.

Gaye Clemson
Capitola, California
Camper 1967 - 1970, Staff 1972, 1973 & 1976
Please visit http://www.globalinkage.net

Wednesday, April 16, 2003

My wife Gina and I are pleased to announce the birth of Simon Christopher Long on March 13, 2003, little brother to Molly Jane who is now 18 months old.

We are all living in Vancouver, where we own and operate Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc. and Scavenger Hunt Canada which provide team building services to corporate teams across North America.

Andrew Long
Vancouver, BC
Camper & Staff 1981-1990
Please visit www.criticalpathfinders.com