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A Place That Makes Everyone Feel At Home

Michelle — Camp alumni

Camp Can-Aqua is the best place in the world, there is no other place like it. This camp focuses on developing a community and making everyone feel at home. Can-Aqua offers many activities from archery to water skiing and there is always something for everyone. I have been going to Camp Can-Aqua for 10 years now and I cannot imagine my summer without it. Camp Can-Aqua has helped to shape me into the person I am today by pushing me outside my comfort zone to try new things.

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A Summer We Will Never Forget

Lorri — Parent

My oldest son had his first summer up at Camp Can-Aqua and when we picked him up he couldn’t stop raving about the place! LOVED every moment of it, he said everyday he would continuously look forward to the next activity. In fact he spoke so positively about his experience that his younger brother would like to try it out next year! I really like how we would check the Facebook page for pictures that you post while they are up there. A summer he will never forget! My two boys can’t wait for next summer! See you then!

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Best Summer Camp In The Country

Linda — Parent

This has to be the very best summer camp in the country. The staff, management, the grounds and the activities truly enrich the lives of every child that attends. What an amazing chapter in your child's life to be able to attend Camp Can-Aqua!!!! Truly the BEST!!!!*****

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A family affair

Yvonne Heath — Parent

My husband and his sister were at camp more than 10 years. I was camp nurse for 5 years for 4th session. Our twins are there for their 8th year. What does that tell you?? It's our most favorite place in the world!!

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A place my daughter feels confident

Karen Lawrie — Parent

My daughter has always been nervous about overnight camp. Finally, she has found a place where she feels confident, safe and happy. This is her second year here. Last year, she cried when we picked her up to come home from camp after 2 weeks. This year, she’s all in for a month at camp! Camp Can Aqua is awesome!

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A Place Where She Feels Confident

Karen — Parent

My daughter has always been nervous about overnight camp. Finally, she has found a place where she feels confident, safe and happy. This is her second year here. Last year, she cried when we picked her up to come home from camp after 2 weeks. This year, she’s all in for a month at camp! Camp Can Aqua is awesome!

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6/5

Jack — Camper

This is the first time I've ever been to an over night summer camp and this experience was AMAZING. When I got there everyone was so friendly and welcoming and there is always something fun to do would rate it 6/5 if I could.

Andrew Martin, Camp Director

Summer Camp is one of the most important decisions you will make for you child. The experience children get for those few short weeks each summer is one, which is certain to shape them into a more confident, independent individuals. The opportunity for them to carve out their own social identity allows them to develop friendships that become long lasting and remarkable. Camp is one of the greatest growth opportunities available to kids.

I am proud to be a part of providing the framework for such an incredible experience here at Camp Can-Aqua.

If you were to ask me to tell you what makes this camp unique, I would tell you that there are a few factors...

1. Our Focus
     Can-Aqua is a community camp. We have tons of activities and excitement to keep your kids engaged and active all day. While this is important, we believe that it is the way we interact with each other that is the real value in our camp. We focus on making certain that every camper feels safe, comfortable and a part of it all.

2. Our site.
     What a treat it is to be a camp isolated in Ontario Wilderness with our very own lake. Our site is the foundation to which we build our remarkable experiences.

3. Our Values
     Character, Skills and Social Growth are simply the tip of the iceberg. At Can-Aqua we carve out the importance of cooperation, compromise, consideration and caring. Camp is more then just about having fun...although we do have a lions share of that too!

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Lego arrives at Camp Can-Aqua in a big way

At Camp Can-Aqua we are excited to announce a new addition to our program pallett!

A summer camp that prides itself on the instructional opportunities and creative challenges offered, 2015 will see the introduction of a lego program. With over 125,000 pieces of lego, this summer not only will kids be able to take advantage of all the water sports, creative arts and land activities, but the builders in the crowd will get to dive right in to a mountain of lego!

Let the creating begin!!!

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Thanks to CanAqua for a memorable summer experience

Just a quick note to thank you for the amazing time my son, Shawn, had at your camp over the last couple of weeks. As he explained to me it was even more fun than he ever imagined that it would be. Although he has only been home for a few days, I have already noticed a marked improvement in his self-esteem and I know I have your program to thank for that. Thanks again for your commitment to making sure kids thrive and grow at your wonderful, fulfilling camp. I will see you next summer. Best Regards, Rachelle

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Had a great time!

Dear Can-Aqua Staff, I really enjoyed my stay at Camp. I tried so many new things that I never thought I would ever get to do. I really enjoyed my cabin mates. I am really glad I had those campers in my cabin, they were super awesome! The activities that I enjoyed most were water skiing, snorkel, gletch, and board surfing, but mostly knee boarding. The food was so awesome! I a™m very picky...I only like certain foods. But the food was so good and I ate every meal without disliking one piece of food! My parents really liked my gletch projects, and I a™m going to try to find the supplies so I can make my own gletch projects whenever I want. The evening program that I enjoyed the most was capture the flag, it was super fun. It wasn™t like at home where you play the game with like 7 people. At camp its fun playing it with tons of people, plus you have then entire camp to run around while playing the game. When my cabin the Swallows went to cookout with the Robins we enjoyed eating hotdogs, and roasting marshmallows. Thanks for a fun week at Camp Can-Aqua! I hope to come next year! =] Hailey

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Thank You Can-Aqua

I hope you know how grateful I am for Camp Can-Aqua! Each year I make new best friends and great memories. I come home with new knowledge in multiple activities and a huge smile on my face! Lacey

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Family Camp!

Good Afternoon, I wanted to drop a quick not to say THANK YOU for an amazing weekend. William and I had a great time and even as we pulled out of the parking lot he talked about how he wants to come back next year. During dinner on Sunday night he made me catch him with his elbows on the table and before bed we sang “Let Me See Your Boogaloo”. However my wife really didn’t understand why he was standing on the chair at dinner saying sorry. It was the perfect weekend for a 5 year old. He was able to experience what life as a camper would be like including the best activity, campfire. You have an fantastic staff, full of energy, caring, committed and wanting to have fun, if who we met this weekend are any indication of what the rest of the summer staff are like, summer of 2011 will be great! Again thank you for a great weekend, have an amazing summer and I hope to see all of you again next June for Family Weekend. Sincerely, Neil

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Family Camp Thank You

Hi Guys, I just wanted to tell you how much fun we had at Family Camp. A new family tradition was born this past weekend. We had fun and saw our kids in a new light. Thank you to you for taking on a huge challenge in running the camp and thank you to your amazing counselors that made us all feel welcome and even a little young again like camp days were just yesterday. I've known for a long time that camp is a must for our kids. See you in third session and next year at family camp again. Bianca

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Camp Thanks

Dear Can-Aqua, On behalf of my niece and nephew Emma and Jack, I would like to thank you and your staff for an amazing introduction to the wonderful world of Camp Can-Aqua. We all had a great time. Special thanks to Al who stayed longer than scheduled at woodworking, and let us squeeze in a quick project at the last minute. The second and third helpings of taffy on snow were also a hit! Our counsellor Emily was a great host and made us feel right at home. When I asked the kids what they liked the best, they said “Archery and canoeing”. When I asked what they liked the least, they said “leaving at the end of the weekend”. All in all a great success! Thanks, Keith

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Why Camp Is So Important To Me

The year I got my Wholly Rollers III, I was a senior camper. It was my best summer at camp as a child and was the year I realized that camp would hold an important connection with me for the rest of my life. That summer, I earned a coveted award for being able to roll a kayak three times in a row on both sides of the boat. I also navigated my first big outtrip and after weeks of swimming lengths in the lake, I failed my Bronze Medallion. While the highlights of my time make it easy to explain that particular summer, it wasn't the things I did that made such a mark. Now, almost 20 years later, I remember the summer I was 13 like it was yesterday. It was the year that my counsellor Boyd, taught me about the person I wanted to be. This single lesson summarized in my mind, the true value of the camp experience. Never before in my life had I felt as secure and confident as those two weeks I lived with seven other boys and the coolest counsellor at camp. Our cabin was proud to boast that we were œBoyds Kids only hours after we first arrived. He managed to earn our trust and loyalty by the end of the first day. We were ready to do anything for him, and somehow we knew he'd do no less for us in return. There were so many things I admired about him; characteristics I never forgot as I grew up. Boyd listened to us. I remember thinking then as I still do now, that often adults don™'t listen! Perhaps it's because the issues of youth seem simple to grownups who have experienced those same emotions hundreds of times since they were kids themselves. Perhaps that repetition makes the topics now seem boring. Boyd never dismissed us. Not only did he listen, but he took the time to get to know us as a cabin. Our likes and dislikes, fears and interests. He also never missed a chance to introduce us to other staff and campers as we travelled throughout camp. I always felt important when I was with him and always felt part of whatever was going on. In watching over me while I was at camp, Boyd taught me the value of inclusion. Just as it did with me, being inclusive makes everyone feel important and part of the group. Even though it was my best summer, the session wasn'™t all easy for me. In the senior cabin beside me, there was a kid that I didn't get along with. He was loud and obnoxious, your typical bully. He would often try to single me out or embarrass me, which became a real obstacle in my time. A week into camp, I told Boyd about my problem. By then I was certain I could trust him, exposing my insecurity and frustration, I believed he would have an answer. After listening to my problem, he thought for a moment, then offered simply three points: don't ignore it, don'™t be embarrassed by it and don't worry about it. That simple advice made me feel better and in the end, to my surprise, he was right. Later that night he put us together in an activity where we had to work together. In helping me through my problem Boyd taught me that when you are up front and honest about how you feel, anything is easy to overcome when you have the support of someone you trust and believe in. I have endless tales to tell of my 13th summer of life. As time moves forward and my experiences become more vast, never do those memories fade, not even a little. They reside in me with such strength. While I know that those memories have changed slightly over time, and my counsellor, whom I remember to be perfect, is probably not so perfect in reality, the lessons he taught me about the person he was have stayed with me. They have shaped me into the person that I am today. While I never profess to be perfect, I'm proud of the person I am. Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for those opportunities I had as a child; to be at camp, to learn outside and to grow. Those short summer weeks when I was encouraged to take risks, to challenge myself, to overcome fear and to learn how to trust. How fortunate I am that now, as an adult, my job gives me the opportunity to provide meaningful memories, like the ones I had, to hundreds of campers each summer.

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Thanks!

Dear Can-Aqua Staff, I have been thinking of writing to you many times since Alana has been home from your camp. I called you once and left a message so I hope this letter will be able to express to you in words how I feel. For starters, as a mom, I am forever grateful for your camp. When my daughter came home, she was like a reborn person. She expressed to me her desire to change and become a better, kinder, nicer daughter. I was shocked at first with this newfound positive side. She stated such things as "I'm going to be more responsible with respect to school, helping out around here and how I relate to others." I cried happy tears when she shared this with me. I truly believe she had an amazing transformation because of the magic at your camp. She has talked on and on about how fantastic everyone and everything is at Can-Aqua. She's stated camp is where she wants to be more than any other place in the world. She has made very close friendships that are continuing as we speak. When I asked what happened to her over the 4 weeks to help her change in such a positive manner she pointed to many things such as: time to reflect on self, becoming one with nature, relating to others in such close groups, being responsible for self and others and the list goes on. I could go on and on too but I think you get the picture am painting. Words will never be able to express the gratitude I feel for what you and everyone else at Can-Aqua did for my wonderful daughter. I thank you for including her, giving her a chance to belong and become confident and responsible, helping her with character development and showing her that there is a wonderful side of life full of love for self and others. Truly, Mary Lou - Mary Lou

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A Parent Thank-You

Just wanted to thank you and everyone for making the past two weeks the best two weeks for my boys, Mackenzie and Madison. Michael and I heard story after story yesterday on the way home and all afternoon until bed last night (which came very early). As I tucked Mackenzie into bed he said “I miss camp already” and that was only hours after leaving. It was also very reassuring to find out that as I was counting the “sleeps” until the coming home day… the boys were not!!! The opportunities you have provided for my children are soooo wonderful. I can’t talk about Can-Aqua enough to friends and others that I meet in my day to day activities. Mackenzie and Madison are definitely returning next year. Madison has a goal to be a counsellor for Can-Aqua and I imagine Mackenzie will follow in his footsteps. Thank You Thank You Patti & Michael

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A Parent Thank-You Note

Just a quick note to thank you for the amazing time my son, Shawn, had at your camp over the last couple of weeks. As he explained to me it was even more fun than he ever imagined that it would be. Although he has only been home for a few days, I have already noticed a marked improvement in his self-esteem and I know I have your program to thank for that. Thanks again for your commitment to making sure kids thrive and grow at your wonderful, fulfilling camp. I’ll see you next summer. Best Regards, Rachelle

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Thanks!

After two months of having been at the camp for summer, I wanted to thank you for the great experience that I lived at Can-Aqua. Today here in Mexico we are celebrating and we are having fun… but not so much fun as I had it at the camp. With Love, Luis

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Thank You!

Six years ago, I got home from my very first 2 weeks at camp and I was already sure I would want to come back. I did of course come back the next year and I had even more fun than the year before. The same thing happened the year after that. I had so much fun in fact, that I decided those 2 weeks were just too short, so I returned for a month and went on my first canoe trip. That year changed my mind about camp completely. Not only was camp a fun place to be, it was the best place in the world to spend a summer. After that month I didn’t want to leave. So the next year, I came for 8 weeks too and had an amazing summer! That school year passed so slowly, just waiting for camp to finally start. Finally, summer arrived and time seemed to fly by. The fun of activities, swim team and evening programs distracted from the fact that the time we had left wasn’t going to last forever. August brought change however, because I was finally an LIT. I learned a lot about teamwork, perseverance and achieving goals. The LIT program was a lot of fun but it taught us all about the responsibility that comes with working at camp, and I think all of our perspectives have changed. From now on my role at camp has shifted from having fun for myself, to making camp fun for others. Instead I will now sign up to teach lesson plans, earn instructor awards, and make friends with all my cabins. I already miss camp ridiculously. I can’t wait for the first mailing, and I have already started a countdown (306 days) Sabrina

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Thanks

My name is “Ally”. I attended Camp Can-Aqua from 1997-2002. I wanted to get in contact to inform you about the impact your camp has had on me. Every summer I wish I was a kid again and I could go back! I have so many great memories, and I would give anything to relive those times. I remember my first canoe trip - I never knew I could have so much fun with ten thousand mosquitoes in my tent . . . and I still sing the Can-Aqua song while passing the sign on highway 28 (although my family thinks I’m nuts). I learned so much at camp. I remember the first year of photography, with Ali …believe it or not, since then I’ve attained such an interest in photography that I’m actually starting a career in that area! Theme days were great. I remember Colour Wars, Olympics, and Club Med. Evening programs were always looked forward to and of course MAPLE SYRUP TAFFY!!! Can-Aqua maple syrup is actually one of the main food groups in my house! You are making such a difference in children’s lives everyday. There is not a summer that goes by I don’t wish I were at camp. O-O-O-OJIBWAY!! Thanks a million, I’ll be back when I have kids! Allyson

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