Alumni News!Where the alumni share news from their lives. Visit often to keep up on events. |
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| If you have something (events, photos, memories, wishes) to share with us, please complete and submit our Alumni News! Form or send a message to webmaster@firesoffriendship.com |
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Wednesday, December 27, 2006 |
Paty Pietrini (former camper) and I just met again after five years in Madrid. She came to visit me and it was as if we had been seeing each other all this time. We are bonded by Wapomeo!!! What we experienced is stronger than the distance between our countries. Whenever we are together, camp memories come back: Wapomeo, Outpost, Quetico, dances at Ahmek, canoeing. No one else understands us in our countries, Mexico and Spain, when we explain that we lived in the Canadian wilderness for forty days!!! Thanks Wap for the amazing experience. It is deep seated inside of me!! How, how!! Un BESO MUY FUERTE DESDE MADRID.
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Tuesday, December 12, 2006 |
I am a "retired" Wap camper and staff member and now my family enjoys September Camp. I would like to invite you to my gallery art exhibit on March 30, 2007. Please see the details at www.heidioriginals.com. Thank you and have a wonderful Holiday Season.
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Wednesday, November 22, 2006 |
Dear Friends, As you may have heard, I have volunteered to participate in a medical mission to Tanzania, February 2-18, 2007. I will be going with a group called "CACHA" which stands for Canada-Africa Community Health Alliance.
CACHA was founded in 2001 by an Ottawa physician, Dr Don Kilby. Since that time CACHA has been actively working with local NGOs on sustainable health care projects focusing mainly on HIV/AIDS work in Benin, Gabon and Tanzania. Missions are conducted to each country several times per year in an effort to reach as many local individuals and health care teams as possible. One of the things we have been asked to do as CACHA volunteers is to fund raise for the projects. It will cost each participant about $3500.00 in travel and living costs for a 16 day mission and more funds are necessary to develop and sustain the ongoing projects between visits; my goal is to raise/donate at least $5000.00 for the February mission. Help in achieving this goal would certainly be very much appreciated. CACHA is a registered charity and will provide tax receipts for any financial donations. 100% of the each donation goes directly to the costs of the missions and the ongoing projects; the administration functions on a volunteer basis. If you, or your company, are planning to make any charitable donations then I would encourage you to consider making one to CACHA. If you wish to donate to the mission which I am participating in simply mention this along with my name at the time of your donation. More information about CACHA programs, donating or volunteering can be obtained by visiting their website: www.cacha.ca or their office at: CACHA, 100 Marie Curie, Suite 300, Ottawa ON, K1N 6N5, located on the University of Ottawa campus. The office phone number is: 613-234-9992. Donations can be made by mail or on-line via the website. If you would like more information from me, please fell free to email or phone 819-827-5710. Sincerely yours, John
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Tuesday, October 31, 2006 |
Camping has had a big impact on my life and many of my friends always call me the "camp counsellor". I love to ride my bike, and with a few friends have created an unbelievable event called TOUR FOR KIDS. It's an adult cycling event that travels about 800km over 4 days in cottage country that raises awareness and fundraises for three oncology children's camps, Camp Oochigeas, Camp Quality and Camp Trillium. Over the past three years we have raised close to $2 million. If you have any interest in cycling and want to bring a smile to the many children that are suffering from cancer that just want to be a kid again at camp, visit www.tourforkids.com.
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Sunday, September 24, 2006 |
We had a treat at September Camp this year. The Tuesday night Coffee House was honoured by a surprise set from Henri Audet. I wondered out loud whether he had any CDs for sale, and was told to contact Henri at the Camp Kirk office. I learned that Volume One of Henri's Camp Anthems is available by mail order for a donation to Camp Kirk of $20.
Classic Henri Audet renditions, and a worthy cause. Then I learned that a 1970s album from Henri and Jim Duchesneau (Portage, by Bonfield-Dickson) has been remastered on CD. The Fires of Friendship Tuck Shop is selling this album to raise funds for a new piano for the Ahmek Dining Hall. A veritable feast...
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Thursday, July 6, 2006 |
Hi, Any "grey beards" out there?!! Andy Scott calling all or any Senior campers Ahmek Summer 39, CIT 40 and Junior Counsellor in the triple cabin with Bob Macaulay 41. (Further to my earlier message.) In my cabin when I was a counsellor were Jim and John Tory, Eric McGregor. My counsellors when I was a Sr. camper were Red Douglas and Jess Fitton. Have I touched base with anyone yet?? Please let's hear from you while I still have some semblance of memory remaining.
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Monday, June 12, 2006 |
My name is Peter Gushie and my Great Aunt attended Wapomeo in the summers of 1929, '30 and '31. Phillis Joyce Jones has now passed away.
I have inherited some of her belongings: three brochures (of those years) and a painting of the Pirate Ship, beautifully painted silk screening, it is dated Wapomeo '31.
I am looking for someone who would love to own the painting.
I am a struggling artist myself and would like to sell it if I could.
Any reasonable offer would Not be refused.
I loved My Aunt and I know she would love someone to have these things, someone who would appreciate them! Thank-you for having such a nice web site and helping me in this matter! Sincerely,
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Thursday, June 1, 2006 |
Greetings from the Colorado Rockies where I've been living for the last 13 years. I was going through my albums and found my Wap ones and the memories started coming alive. I can't believe it's been so long. Driving by on the way to our family place on Lake Tamagami, I always want to stop, but there's never enough time. One day I will return to Lake Canoe where I spent 7 amazing summers. Anyway, Colorado is pretty awesome. I live with my 4 year old American Eskimo (dog) Kona, and am a proud Aunt of Julia (10 months). I spoil them both. I work as a Kindergarten assistant and an after school teacher. In the summer, I work as head of a sports camp. I also do a lot of volunteer work for Special Olympics, coaching volleyball, snow shoeing and Track & Field. Life is busy. I'd love to hear from any of my campers and fellow counsellors (Icky Vicky, Ali, etc.)
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Sunday, April 9, 2006 |
I was a camper and then counsellor at Wapomeo from 1994-2005, when I led a 50 day canoe trip. I think a lot of campers (and staff) have a hard time with the transition back to "city life," especially after a 50-day trip when there is so little in-camp time, and so as a part of my own transition this fall, I wrote the attached reflection. I hope that it will go out with the long trip staff to use (if they choose) as a tool for discussion about coming home, and maybe allow campers an opportunity to begin processing their experience in positive and constructive ways. I know Taylor Buckley is using a piece of it for the Canoe Lake Echoes this spring, and I thought that maybe some Wap/Ahmek alumni who have been on long trips might find it an interesting essay.
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Monday, April 3, 2006 |
I submitted a message in September of 2003 with a poem penned during my summers of '87 and '88. (I was a BWG and boat driver.)
My email has since been changed and I am submitting again to update. I would love to hear from another guide, counselor or camper from Wapomeo from those years. Each of those two years when I returned to college in the west I would dream nightly of canoeing and portaging literally for months. The most pleasant series of connected dreams. My mentor on my very first portage was Dean "?", a master canoeist and a supportive motivator. For precamp of '87 our group of staff, encouraged by Dean, made it to Sunbeam and stayed on the island that night. I weighed 120 lbs at the time and I would not have minded being buried on the island after that day. I recall asking if anyone had a shovel. They only had axes. The return portage to Wapomeo was accomplished with far less pain and bewilderment, much to my surprise. My confidence grew. Henri really took a chance on me that summer. I have been a thousand times grateful in the 19 years since. I still visit the wilderness twice a week as a psychologist for a therapeutic wilderness program serving youth ages 13 to 17. People say you can't help others heal in the wilderness unless you have done so yourself. I came to Wapomeo in '87 with a recently returned diamond ring. I left Wapomeo with a heart so full of incredible memories that I had no room left for self pity. I watch these boys each week on a high desert plateau of Utah go through their own healing as the elements combine to reveal their souls. As I write my above memories, the names of many rise in my consciousness: Eric Guy - another BWG from Quebec, Allen Ogden - the hired camp artist for '87, Beth Allen - the camp dishwasher, Nikki "?" and Wes "?" - a spitfire counselor and a grounded BWG who I guided with in Kipawa in '88, Phil "Pottery" who did (guess...) pottery, and so many others. Its all still in there, deep in my heart. I am 47 years old and yet I am still very much 28 and I am still on the MacIntosh portage with a 130 lbs canoe on my aching shoulders, sweating richly unable to reach the jack flies with the best tan of my life looking ahead for a place to ranger my canoe and suck down a few handfuls of raisins to get me to lake. I stride into the cool water and let it seep into my converse allstars, I drop the canoe and wade out to float and drift for a few moments cooly watching for the last few campers...
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Wednesday, March 22, 2006 |
It has been a long time since I have updated with the friends and memories made at camp. Although what has seemed like a lifetime is still just only yesterday in my heart. The years spent at camp are not only cherished, but something that I will remember for a lifetime. A lot has happened over the years, where I have traveled, and where I have settled. I am currently teaching kindergarten/special education in Philadelphia, where I have met the love of my life, Aaron, and soon to be married May 20, 2007. With the hustle of wedding plans, and my continuing education, it has been hard to contact some of the camp friends I have made over the years, and would love to chat with any of you who remember me. My e-mail is . Can't wait to hear from you guys soon.
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Thursday, January 12, 2006 |
Peoples, During change of camp in 1975, my Father flew over and picked up myself, Pablo Rivera [Mexico] and Hugh Carnegy Arbothnott [Scotland] (spelling might not be correct). We went and enjoyed 3 days at our family cottage on Lake Muskoka near Bala. Our family showed the boys some truly Canadian hospitality. I lost track of the guys years later and am just wondering if anyone has any info on either of the lads. Thanks in advance, How How How !
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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 |
My wife Michelle and I are happy to announce the birth of our first child, Jack Ellis Keefe, born on November 17th, 2005.
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Monday, December 19, 2005 |
Gina and I and our beautiful children Molly (4) and Simon (2) have recently moved from Vancouver, BC to Oakville, Ontario to be closer to our families. We continue to operate Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training and you can reach us at 905-901-9300 or
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| View more recent news | View earlier news |
| If you have something (events, photos, memories, wishes) to share with us, please complete and submit our Alumni News! Form or send a message to webmaster@firesoffriendship.com |