Welcome to Camp
This handbook has been created to answer many of the
questions asked by our camper families in preparation for
camp. Please take a few minutes to read this booklet. It
will help prepare your camper for a successful summer at
Hidden Bay Leadership Camp.
Please note that for 2016 we have launched our online
camp registration, we are still accepting paper forms,
please visit our website to download our forms or register
online.
Expectations
Hidden Bay Leadership Camp has very high expectations. We expect everyone
to be courteous, respectful and responsible in everything they do. We expect
everyone to have fun, experience new things and connect with the basics of
nature.
The Hidden Bay Way
Hidden Bay Leadership Camp offers an incredible experience for campers to
have fun and grow as individual leaders and people of character.
In all aspects of our program, we encourage our campers to be courteous, respectful, responsible and confident. It is our mission, through goal setting and
hands-on learning, that our campers will be able to think for themselves, make
good choices, set goals, make plans, problem solve, take responsibility, experience success and celebrate the success of others.
We attribute our success to clear expectations and to our staff members who
have been trained to assist campers in becoming the leaders of tomorrow. Our
small camp size, and high staff to camper ratio, enables us to get to know our
campers as individuals, develop good relationships and support our campers
throughout the different areas of camp.
We follow the Future Aces Creed, which means that on a daily basis campers
are recognized, and in turn recognize others, using the “caught you doing something good” method. In this way, campers are encouraged to develop healthy
relationships with peers and counsellors, to respect each other and to be comfortable in acknowledging and verbalizing their feelings.
At Hidden Bay Leadership Camp our end goal is to change the world by creating confident and responsible leaders who are respectful and courteous in their
daily actions.
Camp Staff
Camp Director
Christina Bossart aka. “Stitch”
Christina is proud to be returning for her second year as the Camp Director of
HBLC. She comes to Hidden Bay Leadership Camp with a love of the outdoors,
wilderness leadership skills with a wide range of paddling and customer service
experience. With several years as a professional wilderness guide with Black
Feather, she is an enthusiastic & experienced wilderness traveler. She is excited to
be back working outdoors and helping to nurture the wonderful traditions,
campers and staff that HBLC are known for.
Counsellors
Counsellors are carefully selected. They are
chosen for their experience, skill and enthusiasm for working with children. They have First
Aid and CPR training, a clear Vulnerable Sector Screening and a week of intensive precamp training to ensure they are ready to provide your child with a fun, safe and inclusive
experience. You will find all our staff are warm
and welcoming and willing to understand your
child’s needs and interests.
Whether it is an individual, small or large group
activity, Counsellors will role model and promote the building of character and the development of leadership, with a particular emphasis on respect for others, and taking responsibility for oneself, and the environment.
Waterfront
All lead waterfront staff are NLS certified and assistant guards have Bronze Cross
or greater. They are fully trained to supervise the waterfront, inspect equipment
and keep the waterfront safe and secure. Each year an emphasis will be placed
on each camper improving their swimming skills through daily swim lessons. Paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking are standard waterfront activities offered
to build confidence and water based skills.
Camp Chef
Our Cook is trained and experienced, and has a reputation for preparing hearty
and nutritional meals that meet both the expectations of hungry campers and
Canada’s Food Guide.
Our Code of Behaviour
FOR BULLYING, HARASSMENT & VIOLENCE
Our philosophy clearly states our goal for each child is to help him/her become a
responsible, independent, productive, happy, problem solving person.
Our Code of Behaviour requires staff, children, parents and others to be courteous, responsible, and respectful at all times.
With minor situations we work with campers to problem solve their behaviour and
make a plan to curb this behaviour.
In the event that a child’s behaviour is inconsistent with our Code of Behaviour or
becomes an area of concern, you will be called and together we will help that
child put together a plan for change.
In extreme situations: If the behaviour is harmful to others or detrimental to the
program, that child will be asked to leave camp.
Inclusion & Integration at HBLC
In partnership with Reach for the Rainbow (RFTR), we provide integrated
camp experiences designed to engage
the hearts and minds of all individuals.
This program encourages environments
for typical children to live, play, work
and inspire themselves alongside young
people with disabilities. RFTR is an umbrella organization that connects young
people with disabilities to camps with
the goal of creating transformative experiences of belonging for all.
Please visit reachfortherainbow.ca to learn more about the program and contact us to learn more about how to access this opportunity.
Health & Safety
Health History
The Camp Office must receive a completed health form for every camper prior
to arrival at camp. The health form shares with us the medications your child
may need to take or any allergic reactions they have.
It is essential that we are informed of all allergies and medical conditions. If your
child has a severe allergy or requires special
treatments, please contact the Camp Director
prior to camp to discuss protocol for severe allergies. Additional forms and a doctor’s note maybe required as it relates to treatment.
Please note that a medical examination specifically for camp with a doctor’s certification is not
mandatory. The Ontario Health Card number, or
out-of-province medical insurance number, is
extremely important.
The name, address and telephone number of
your family doctor is required information on the
health form and we do recommend that you try to schedule your child’s annual
medical check-up as close to camp as possible.
Immunization records provide us with a quick reference in the time of an emergency or health outbreaks.
Prescription Medication
All medication that campers are required to take during their stay must be listed
on the health history form. Medication must be in its original container, currently
dated and clearly labeled with your camper’s first and last name.
All medication, except asthma inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors, must be
kept in the Camp Office and will be dispensed at the required times by designated staff. Asthma Inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors are carried by the child.
With severe reactions we encourage parents to provide extra epinephrine autoinjector to be kept in the Camp Office as back up.
If you are driving your camper to camp, please give the medication directly to
camp staff. If your camper is taking the bus, please give the medication to any
of our staff at the bus and they will ensure it is stored in the Health Centre. Staff
will return items to you when your child gets off the bus, so please allow enough
time at pick up to have the medication returned.
General Medication
If your child requires over the counter medications for general issues like headaches or acid reflux we will require a list of this medication along with written
consent for us to administer these medications as needed. Following the completion of your health form we will be following up with medication forms. This
applies to medication like Benadryl, Tylenol and Tums. The medication must also
be in its original container and clearly labeled with your camper’s first and last
name and currently dated.
Head Lice & Communicable Diseases
It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that campers do not come to camp
with head lice or other communicable diseases. The campers are checked for head
lice prior to getting on the bus. Should lice
or other communicable diseases be identified after arrival, the camper will be sent
home and parents will be responsible to
provide transportation home.
Emergency Procedures
Safety is our first consideration in everything
we do. We have a plan of action to deal
with emergencies. The staff and campers
participate in regular drills for various scenarios and at no time are they aware if it is
a drill or the real situation. If medical attention is required, the camp is only 15 minutes
by paved road to a modern well equipped hospital in Parry Sound.
Sun Protection
Protecting campers from the sun is critical. Please be sure to send sun protection
(minimum 30 SPF) and remind your child the importance of wearing a hat, T-shirt,
sunglasses and sunscreen. We will have sunscreen application and hydration
checks throughout the day.
Mosquitos at Camp
At Hidden Bay Leadership Camp our first priority is the safety and well-being of
our campers. As part of this concern, we wish to remind you that there are mosquitoes at camp. To help keep our campers safe from mosquitoes, we encourage you to send bug spray with no more than 20% DEET. We will encourage
campers to wear long-sleeved
shirts and pants in the evenings
when the bugs are at their worst.
You may also choose to send
along a bug net for sleeping at
night and/or bug jacket for nature
programs.
Food at Camp
At HBLC we ensure that your camper is getting nutritious, and delicious, meals
three times a day, as well as a snack. We do our best to offer foods that all
campers will enjoy, while meeting the daily requirements from Canada’s Food
Guide. We ask that all campers try the food served and that campers with dietary restrictions and allergies to please notify camp staff on their health form so
that a safe alternative can be prepared.
Sending Food
Please do not send food or snacks for your camper to eat on the bus or while at camp. This request
is in place for a number of reasons, including
camper safety & food allergy issues. Any food sent
to camp will be disposed of.
While at camp all food is confined to our dining
hall. Food at camp can attract unwanted animals.
Although some of these animals do not represent
an immediate threat to the safety of our campers,
they are disruptive.
Nut Allergies
Please be advised that Hidden Bay Leadership Camp is a nut aware environment. While we do not serve any nut products, we are unable to ensure that all
food served in the dining hall do not contain nuts. If your camper has a nut allergy, please contact the Camp Office.
Daily Schedule
7:30 am
Wakeup & Freshie
4:00 pm
Activity 4
8:00 am
Breakfast
4:30 pm
Day Camp Departure
8:45 am
5:00 pm
Beach Party/ Free Time
6:00 pm
Dinner
10:45 am
Flag Pole, Pond
Time & Goal Setting
Leader
Development
Activity 1
6:45 pm
Pond Time
12:00 pm
Lunch
7:15 pm
Campwide Game
12:30 pm
Quiet Hour
8:00 pm
Campfire
1:30 pm
Activity 2
8:45 pm
2:30 pm
Activity 3
9:00 pm
Flag Pole &
Getting Ready for Bed
Vespers
3:30 pm
Snack
9:30 pm
Lights Out
9:30 am
Our Program
At HBLC our programming is all based around leadership, and our daily schedule
offers different opportunities to learn leadership.
Every day your camper will participate in a number of
activities, including Pond Time, Leader Development
and Goal Setting, in addition to traditional camp activities, including swimming, canoeing, kayaking, archery, low ropes, arts & crafts, dance & drama and
games & sports.
Each morning your camper will get up, enjoy a quick
warmup game, and an optional, but encouraged Freshie or morning dip in the
lake. After that they will have a nutritious breakfast and head back to their cabins to tidy up and get ready for the day’s activities.
Once our day campers have arrived, everyone will meet at the flag pole where
we will sing O Canada, introduce our theme of the day, a leadership concept
that all the day’s activities will be based around, and recognize one camper
who has embodied the theme of the day to raise the flag. They will then head to
Pond Time where a counsellor will lead the group in a discussion of the theme of
the day and encourage all of our campers to embody that theme through their
activities that day. Our themes of the day can range widely, but include CRRC 3,
integrity, carpe diem, teamwork, optimism, trust, perseverance and others.
After Pond Time your camper will head back to their cabin and working with their
cabin counsellor to set goals for the day. Following goal setting, your camper will
head to meet their Leadership Team. This group will meet throughout the week
and participate in age appropriate Leader Development activities. These activities are specifically focused on developing leadership attributes and are fully
debriefed following each one.
For the rest of the day your camper will participate in a range of different camp
activities. One activity every day is swimming instruction, two are with their cabin
and the last is chosen by them.
Lunch is held at 12 and from when lunch ends until 1:30 your camper will have
Quiet Time. During this time your camper may read,
write letters, journal, nap or work on crafts. The one
request is that campers keep a general quiet through
the camp which will allow those who require it, to get a
mid-day recharge.
When afternoon programming is complete for the day,
your camper will head down to the lake to enjoy our
daily beach party. During this time your camper can
swim, use the canoes, kayaks & paddleboards, or sit on
the docks and read a book or work on a bracelet. If there is interest, your camper may choose to join in on one of our beach games during this time.
Dinner is at 6 pm and is followed by an evening Pond Time to have a deeper
discussion of the day’s theme and reflect on how our activities during the day
may have helped in understanding the theme better. After this, we switch to our
evening fun program, which includes a campwide game and campfire. As the
sun starts setting we have our evening flagpole and then off to bed for Vespers,
our evening cabin programming. Lights out starting at 9:30 gives everyone a
chance to get a good night’s sleep.
Communication
Telephone & Devices
The telephone is not available for use by campers, except for emergencies. If
there is an emergency and you need to reach us, the camp phone number is
705-342-7345. If there is no answer, please leave a voice mail. Calls will be returned between approximately 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m.
Please note that campers are expected to leave all cell phones and electronics
at home.
Being in constant communication with family and friends from home can detract
from an important part of the camp experience. We ask that campers and parents respect this expectation. Any phones or electronics brought to camp will be
held in a locked cabinet in the Camp Office and returned at the end of camp.
We are not responsible for lost or stolen items and recommend that campers
leave all electronics at home.
Mail
Campers love receiving mail. Mail is distributed to campers each day at Quiet
Hour, and letters can be sent by snail mail, fax or email. We do not accept care
packages.
Snail Mail can be slow: we suggest you mail letters to your campers at least a
week before their session begins so that they will receive mail while they are at
camp. Please ensure that you use our mailing address listed below, or your letter
will not be received in time. All letters that are received after the camper has left
for the summer will be marked return to sender.
Hidden Bay Leadership Camp
200 Shebeshekong Rd
Nobel, ON P0G 1G0
Attn: Camper Name
If your campers wishes to send a letter during their stay, please send them with
some addressed & stamped envelopes. Mail is taken daily to the mailbox and
may arrive after your camper has already made it home.
Fax letters are also welcome. Our fax number is 705-342-7346, please put your
child’s name in the subject line. Please note that incoming faxes are welcome,
but we do not permit campers to send outgoing faxes.
Email is a new option for 2016. If you missed the window to get them a paper
letter, you can send it by email. Please give your campers name in the subject
line and send to [email protected].
Visiting Camp
Most campers take a bit of time to settle into the camp routine and a visit from
parents during these sessions may disrupt the camper’s enjoyment of camp. It is
for this reason that we ask parents not visit their campers while they are at camp.
If you wish to see the camp before you camper’s stay, we will be hosting an
open house in the spring, please follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our email
newsletter to get the open house date.
Camper Belongings
Personal Property
It is very important when living with others, that campers are responsible for their
own property and respect the property of others. We request that you do not
send campers to camp with expensive, inappropriate or unnecessary items. Hidden Bay is not responsible for the loss or damage of any items that are brought to
camp. A complete packing list can be found on our website.
Lost & Found
While our staff does their very best to send your camper home with the belongings they arrived with, sometimes campers leave their belongings behind. In order to minimize the number of lost items please put their name in all the items
they are bringing to camp, from their underwear to their shoes.
Items that are left at camp are placed in our lost and found. We will be posting
pictures of lost and found items to our Facebook page throughout the summer,
and items can be picked up at the camp or our head office in Aurora. Our lost
and found is emptied at the end of camp and all unclaimed items are donated
to local charities.
Laundry
Laundry facilities are not available to campers during camp. We ask that parents pack enough clothing for their campers to be comfortable for their entire
stay at camp.
Getting to Camp
Camp is located north of Parry Sound, about 2 .5 hours north of the GTA.
Bus
Busing is included in your camp fee. The bus runs from Aurora to Camp, with additional stops in Barrie and Parry Sound. The bus schedule is available online.
Driving
You are welcome to bring
your child directly to camp
and you are welcome to
have a tour of the site. Drop
off runs from 4:30 to 5:30pm on
Sunday afternoon. Please do
not drop of your camper before official drop off time.
There is limited parking available, so when dropping off,
please come through the
gates, and park on the right
side at the marked parking
signs. Please check in with
camp staff upon your arrival.
Directions from South

Take Hwy 400 North
through Barrie, and past
Parry Sound




Turn left (west) on Hwy 559 (exit 247)
After 1 km, turn right (north) on Shebeshekong Road
Travel 7 km
We are #200 Shebeshekong Road.
Directions from the North




Take Hwy 69 South
Turn right (west) on Woods Road
At the end, turn left (south) on Shebeshekong Road
We are #200 on the right
Updated: 4 February 2016