News & Events Canadian Camp Association

Join us in welcoming our new Coordinator!

Date: 2024-08-16 12:00 AM

The CCA HR Committee and Strategic Transition Committee is excited to announce the appointment of Matt Wilfrid as the CCA Coordinator. Matt, with the support of the Board and committees, will oversee the execution of many parts of the strategic reorganization to advance the interests of the Canadian camping industry nationally and internationally.

Here’s a note from Matt:

"Hello, friends! I’m incredibly grateful to be joining the CCA. It is an honour to serve an industry that has fundamentally shaped the person I am today. I look forward to working with the CCA team and our provincial partners to ensure that every child in Canada has the opportunity to experience one of our excellent camps and outdoor education programs.]

A little about me - I’ve been a “camp-nerd” from the age of 10 when I paddled my first trip down the Grand River with Camp Ganadoweh. Since that first summer, I haven’t missed a year at camp. After 9 years as a seasonal staff, I’ve had the pleasure of leading teams from 5 camp programs across Ontario, volunteering with the OCA, speaking at conferences across North America and as a consultant and Executive podcast producer for the team at Go Camp Pro.

In my time with the CCA so far, it is clear to me that the work ahead of us is a bit like a giant, multi-day canoe trip. We have a long way to go - with many rapids, portages and mosquitos along the way - and that’s the point, isn’t it? The end goal is certainly important, but the transformation and bonds forged through shared experience is where the real magic is.

Here’s to paddling the boat farther, together!"

- Matt Wilfrid (he/him)

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You can reach Matt at mwilfrid@ccamping.org

Archived Events

Call for Papers – Research Award of Excellence

Call for Papers – Research Award of Excellence

The annual CCA Research Award of Excellence competition honours, celebrates and promotes research that contributes significantly to the growing body of academic literature relevant to the organized children’s camping movement in Canada.

It encourages graduate students and faculty to examine issues and/or practicalities that relate to child and youth development, enhancement of the quality of life, creating and enabling the experience, and the role of “camp” in its social, political and physical environment yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The submission deadline for the CCA Research Award is on November 30, 2019.

Camp Directors, Owners, and Boards – please forward this notice to your staff and alumni. Anyone, from senior undergraduates to PhD candidates, is welcome and encouraged to submit!
CCA Awards – Nominate Someone Today

CCA Awards – Nominate Someone Today

The CCA is proud to have a national awards recognition program that honours outstanding achievements and contributions by Canadian camp leaders, camps, associations and institutions.

The CCA Awards Program recognizes individuals, camps, agencies or corporations. Written online nominations, from any member of the CCA (including individuals) must be submitted by October 31, 2019, for consideration.

Once approved by the Committee/Board, the awards will be presented by a member of the CCA Board/PCA at a Provincial Camping Association’s annual meeting or other suitable gathering.

Just a reminder, nominations for a camp or an organization must come from an external source.
Newcomers Love Camp!

Newcomers Love Camp!

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting a Syrian family of seven that arrived in Toronto in March 2017 after time spent in Iraq. In two short years, the father has secured full time work in his field as a cook. The mother attends English classes five days a week and her youngest daughter also attends daycare. She has learned to drive and has recently passed her license. The other four children attend school. As well as learning English (which at present they are speaking very well), they are also studying French, thereby adding two new languages to their current fluency in Arabic and Kurdish. I was impressed!

The four older children, ranging in age from five to fourteen, are anxious for winter to end. They are looking ahead excitedly to returning to day camp for a week at the end of August. They are not fond of the cold weather; Nihad told me that he liked camp because “ every day there was the sun.”

For the past two years, the children have experienced camp thanks to the generosity of Seneca: King Day Camp one of the eighty-day and overnight Ontario Accredited Camps that are making the experience available to newcomers to Canada at no cost.

The children eagerly talked about their summer experiences. For Shahid, canoeing was the best thing. She also described the excitement of rock climbing. “Going up was fun; I made it almost to the top, but I didn’t like going down.” Shahid is excited about the possibility of going to an overnight camp for a week with her school class next year.

Appreciative that the counsellor was responsible for putting the worm on the hook, the three older children went fishing. While the others were unsuccessful, Mohamednour mentioned that he caught three fish. However, he was not particularly excited because he doesn’t like to eat fish! Not a problem ̶ they were all released and thrown back into the lake.

Without a doubt, the best thing about camp for Nihad was soccer. He is an ardent Real Madrid fan. When I told him that my grandson’s favourite team was Arsenal, he grinned and replied, “ They are a weak team.”

The first summer, their camp was on a college campus with mostly indoor activities. Last summer they were in an outdoor setting with a lake and woods, which they liked much better. They loved being outdoors swimming in the lake almost every day. The camp has become an important part of a new life in Canada for these children contributing to their feeling of welcome and safety as well as introducing them to exciting new activities.