We hope this email finds you and your family staying well and keeping healthy.
The last few weeks have been an unprecedented challenge for us all. Like you, we are watching the news, keeping track of the ever changing situation, and hoping for better days ahead.
We are writing because we know many of you are wondering about the status of Summer Camp given the COVID-19 pandemic. We remain hopeful that Camp takes place, but no decisions have been made yet about Summer Camp at Wenonah.
Many of you know that Founder & Executive Director Jeff Bradshaw is the current President of the Ontario Camps Association (OCA). Additionally, Senior Director Jennifer “JJ” Jupp sits on the OCA Board of the Directors, while Jeff, Nancy Vandenbergh (Director of Health & Wellness) and Tom Appleyard (Camp Consultant, and co-author of Ontario’s pandemic plan) sit on the OCA’s COVID-19 Task Force. They are in regular contact and meeting with public health and other government officials on a regular basis.
Like most businesses in Ontario, Camp Wenonah was directed to close as part of the province’s directive for non-essential businesses. That means that we (and all summer camps) need to receive permission to open. We would follow the lead of the provincial government and/or Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit when it comes to making a decision about Summer Camp. Discussions about the opening of camps are underway with public health agencies and the provincial government. Meanwhile, we are still planning for Camp.
We expect we’ll likely have more clarity about Summer Camp that we can share with families by late May. If there is a decision made before then, we will be in touch. For now, we are in a holding pattern when it comes to confirming the status of Summer Camp.
With that in mind, please note that we are extending the deadline for payment of any Summer Camp fees owing to Monday, June 1. No payments will be processed before that date.
Please note also that Final Forms & Details will be sent to families by email once the status of Summer Camp has been confirmed.
As we stay socially distant to help flatten the curve, we wait for our lives to return to normal. One thing that this waiting has given us is time to consider what truly matters in our lives. The people we hold most dear, our families, our friends, our communities. In the absence of rushing from place to place we have the space to evaluate our lives.
What is crystal clear is the importance of Camp Wenonah in the lives of children, youth, and their families. We commit to you that Wenonah will always strive to be that happy place that your children return to each Summer so they, as adults, can look back at hundreds of Wenonah magical moments and friendships that helped shape and define them.
We will be in touch by email as we have more information to share. In the meantime, while our Burlington Office is closed, we are available to you by email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions by emailing us at info@campwenonah.com.
Please also connect with us over Instagram and Facebook. We are posting regularly on social media to connect with campers and families. The Wenonah community is thriving on these platforms!
Until we are next in touch, please accept our wishes for good health to you and your family.
Jeff Bradshaw (Founder & Executive Director)
Jennifer “JJ” Jupp (Senior Director – Experience)
Mike Stewart (Senior Director – Logistics)
Fraser “Tito” McOuat (Director of Operations)
Eoin “Woody” Wood (Director of Leadership)
Caron Brick (Director of Administration)
Nancy Vandenbergh (Director of Health & Wellness)
Dr. Phyllis McCord (Camp Doctor)
Renata Bradshaw, Jane McCutcheon, and Tom Appleyard (Camp Consultants)