Alumni News!

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Hi, and Season's Greetings to Ya all.

I really enjoy surfing on this site, and I am very sorry not be able to join the Reunion next summer. But I might make it in 2010.

After being invited for the Reunion, I went looking for my paddles and found most of them in pretty good shape in my barn, though a few repairs have to be made. I have so many different kinds of paddles that I forgot how the models are called. I remember Otter Tail and Voyageur paddles but that's about it. Does anyone have a hint where I might find a model description with a drawing so that I am able to put the model name on the paddles? I bought them all at Camp, so it should be camp models.

Best regards from Europe,

Lindhorst, Germany
Camper & Staff 1977-85
Please visit www.carsten-witt.com

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

I wanted to let the alumni know of the passing of one of the "Great Wap Guides" of the early 70s. Rod Carscallen, better known as "Rrrrrrrrrrodney" died Sunday December 5th of a heart attack. Rod was 54 years old and in his 30th year with the Ontario Provincial Police. He leaves behind his wife, Brenda and son, Christopher. He was truly one of the most warm hearted people I was blessed to know. Those who knew him well will miss his very unique and contagious sense of humour. Truly a sad time for all those who had the great joy of sharing time with him both on and off Canoe Lake shores.

Family, friends, and co-workers may call at the STECKLEY-GOODERHAM Funeral Home, (201 Minet's Point Road at Yonge Street), Barrie, on Wednesday from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Memorial Service will be held in the Chapel on Thursday, December 9th at 11:00 a.m. Memorial donations to the charity of one's choice would be appreciated by the family. His undying humour, smile, integrity and continuous love for his family, friends and co-workers will always be cherished.

Wapomeo 1960s, 1970s

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

An Open Letter to David Ramsay,
Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources

Dear Hon. Minister David Ramsay,

I have spent over 400 days of my life canoeing and camping in and around Ontario's Temagami region. That means I have spent over one full year of my twenty-seven paddling those stunning waters, portaging my canoe over thin, forbidding trails, sleeping on the cold, hard ground. To me, this is heaven. And I am not alone. On my many trips I have crossed paths with countless fishers, hunters, campers, hikers and fellow canoeists from all over Canada and the world, all of whom share in the amazing, and still largely untrammeled, territory that stretches from the Ottawa River in the east to the Spanish River in the west.

For many, no trip to the region is complete without a climb to the top of one of the two humpbacked mountains that colour the distance. Ishpatina Ridge in the west, and Maple Mountain in the east, stand as two ancient pillars in the region—massive green sentinels keeping noiseless watch over a picturesque environment of tree, rock and water.

This is why I was shocked to discover yesterday that Maple Mountain, one of Ontario's most beloved wilderness jewels, had been quietly slated for logging this winter.

Surely there must have been some public outcry over this tragic decision? Do Ontarians at large simply not know about this plan? As I thought back over 21 years of canoe tripping through the region, it just didn't add up—too many people love and respect the region, too many work and play in the area, too many come to Temagami just for a chance to steal a look at the breathtaking view from atop Maple Mountain—how could there have been no public reaction to a decision to take a swipe out of her side? But there was no outrage, little gnashing of teeth; there were no Save Maple Mtn t-shirts distributed, no internet campaigns to shut down the plan—hardly any protesting at all.

Minister Ramsay, the reasons for this have to do neither with apathy on the part of environmentalists, nor indifference on the part of outdoorspeople. The reason people have not responded to this plan to log Maple Mountain is that until very recently, it was, for all intents and purposes, kept a secret.

Mr. Ramsay, your Ministry of Natural Resources has worked, ever so subtly, to keep this project just out of the view of the general public. Public advertisements were run in the press, ostensibly to warn people of the impending decision over the fate of Maple Mountain, but these small, quiet notices were generally printed in tiny-circulation, local papers in the Near North. Only people who had signed up for information from the MNR received written notices in the mail. But these notices didn't outline any proposed logging plan—they were vague invitations to an open house discussion. An open discussion, it should be noted, at which no voting is done. Decisions have largely been made long before any such open houses are held.

Moreover, even if one consults your web site it is impossible to find the plan explaining the fate of Maple Mountain. How can we uncover what you have allowed the logging companies to do in the area? Now that the farcical "Public Comment" period has elapsed, and you are no longer apparently canvassing for our opinions, what can we do to show our disdain for a process which has basically excluded us from the table?

Mr. Ramsay, why do you feel the need to go behind our backs with such decisions? Unfortunately, infuriatingly, the answer to this question seems quite obvious: your Ministry—and Domtar, the company who won the contract to log Maple Mountain— knew full well that it would have been a noisy, potentially fractious scene had this information been open and available to the wider public.

It isn't so much that this decision has been taken—that alone would be enough to rankle me and many others—but it is that this has happened in about the quietest possible way. My fellow wilderness guides and I hadn't heard a thing about it until just recently and, as I have discovered, it is already too late to do anything about it. Media sources were not informed of your momentous decision. And, local environmental groups have found themselves frustrated in their recent attempts to call attention to it. The invisible "public response" period (which was extended by a full two days in early October, presumably to provide your Ministry with further recourse later when we complained about being unable to speak out) was kept so quiet that the general public was oblivious to it. Tell me, Mr. Ramsay, how does one respond to the proposition if one is unaware of the proposition? Maple Mountain is a largely pristine wilderness that is still available to canoe trippers, hunters and sport fishers but not to anyone else. This sort of inaccessibility, as I am well aware after spending many summers in a canoe and rarely going a day without walking on yet another logging road, is rare in that part of Ontario. I like the idea of being able to canoe trip in a less affected environment, without the prospect of running into a heavy truck, or hearing the distant scrape of a chain saw. So, there's that.

But coupled with this is the very obvious aesthetic issue—this is a mountain. It has a view. Until now, this view has been worth crossing portages, windswept lakes, pulling over beaver dams, and dragging up streams to get to. Tourists come from as far away as Japan to take a look out over this ancient paradise. Now, the third highest peak in Ontario will look (at least in one direction) onto a road, and a swath of broken, empty forest.

Sincerely,

Stuart Henderson

PhD Candidate
Department of History
Queen's University

(You can email the minister at:
or phone his office at 416-314-2301)

For more information, you may visit
crownlanduseatlas.mnr.gov.on.ca/supportingdocs/temagami/ap1rec.html
www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/News/newsbriefs-035.htm
www.earthroots.org/cgi/cms/cgi-news.pl?article=2004-11-05-1099687356

Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
Longtime camper, counsellor, guide 1989-2004

Sunday, November 7, 2004

It's with great pleasure that we announce the birth of our first daughter, Camille Van Waeyenberge, on November the 4th 2004. We do hope she may one day grow up to live the TSC experience just as the Van Waeyenberge family did. With very fond memories.

Best regards to all our friends.

Brussels, Belgium
Camper 1990 - 1994 & Staff, Wap Guide 1993 1994
Please visit www.wacondah.com/camille.
Another link that might be of interest is www.wacondah.com/projects/canoetrip.htm. It will be accessible through the mainpage once everything is updated, but this will have to wait now for obvious reasons.

PS. Canada geese are now a very common sight in Belgium for the past few years—we take this as a fond reminder—although it may indicate other things such as disrupted migration patterns.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Friendships at camp sure last. Here we are 30 years after meeting at camp, sitting around the fire and sharing camp stories. You should see Harry's wood carvings. They are so beautiful. Jack Eastaugh would be one proud mentor.

As we sit here at the computer looking at all the pictures, we recognize so many of you that were at camp at the same time as us: Holly Gibson, Sue Calverley, Henri Audet, Dave Conacher, Hugh Statten, Tom Hawks, Peter Budreo, Dr Tay, Dan Gibson and Elizabeth and Jack. What a treat to see all of you. It feels like yesterday.

Keep the fires burning making sure they are small so that we will always be close to share our stories. Some of you may remember Harry taking your campers over to Whiskey Jack creek on those early foggy mornings. I'll never forget us sitting over there and watching as the first glimpse of morning light appeared. Thanks Harry.

We'd love to hear from you.

 &
Vancouver, BC
We were staff in the 1970s. Harry was head of nature, ran the trading post and was a Bantam counselor. Jim was pot washer, counselor, and program director at the outpost and sang with Henri Audet.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Liz Smythe Brinton recently wrote a book called My American Eden: Mary Dyer: Martyr for Freedom and it's one of the best books I've ever read! We were former campers and staff together, and we've known each other for 40 years. I am proud of Liz for accomplishing this amazing feat.

Her use of dialogue and historical content make the characters so realistic that it's hard to believe it is historical fiction as opposed to non-fiction. Anybody that has been to camp would be able to appreciate the way she drew on her experiences to describe so vividly how the women in the 1600s had to rely on each other for their very survival.

I personally bought four copies to give to camp friends for Christmas. I highly recommend this book. Check it out at www.elizabethbrinton.com

How! How! Liz!

Wrangell, Alaska
Camper 1964-1970, C.I.T. 1972

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Hi there,

I'm at present working in Charlottetown (who knew that there was an animation studio in PEI?) I have been here for a few months but am only here till the end of October, then on to Ottawa. I was wondering if anyone I used to hang out with is on the east coast, and interested in hooking up for coffee or whatever. I know that there were so many people out here when I worked at Ahmek and Wap. Seeing if anyone is still out here. Let me know. It's kinda boring out here when you don't know anyone!

Take care,

Charlottetown, PEI
Camper, Staff, A&C extraordinaire (1980s-90s)

Thursday, September 9, 2004

Every year on the Friday after Labour Day, September Campers, both former and current, and other Alumni, have reunited (often after only four days) in Toronto. This tradition was started in the early '70s at the old Embassy Tavern by Ted Brock. This year the tradition continues at The Tasting Rooms Restaurant hosted by long time Alumnae Larkin and Chris Boland. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello. You'll find us in the Smoke Lake Bar or on Chris' Frisbee Golf course in the courtyard. That's Friday September 10, 2004 after 7:00 PM.

Alliston, Ontario
Camper, September Camper 1961 - 2004

Saturday, August 28, 2004

We would like to take this opportunity to let the Taylor Statton Camp Alumni know that Grassmere Paddles—a name well known and respected—is up for sale. Anyone interested can contact:

Please use the subject line "Business for Sale" if using the e-mail.

Thanks,

Bracebridge, Ontario