Paddler 2014 Ver4
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Wanapitei Unplugged: Connections Made Offline By JJ (Jennifer Jupp) and Woody (Eoin Wood), Directors HAVE BEEN SLOW TO plug in. I grudgingly came to Facebook and texting on a cell phone long after most of my friends and am I still not doing Twitter or Instagram (much to our 10-year-old daughter’s dismay). I therefore have found it surprising to find myself and my family members on (or at least checking) devices throughout the day. Moreover, I feel guilty if I don’t answer texts “quickly enough” or if I am silent on Facebook for “too long”. “Quickly enough” and “too long” are moving targets of time that seem to be shortening. In researching this article, I realize that I am in good company as I become more reliant on, and addicted point, on our phones. I realized later lucky to have Wanapitei – days and to, my electronic communications with that it is extremely rare for us to go weeks on end eating and conversing others and my need to “know what’s through a meal device free. with each other both on canoe trip and happening”. One of the conversations that we had in our dining hall. Last evening, our little family went during dinner was about how great A 2012 US study found the following: out to dinner. The restaurant is mealtime is at camp. We were thinking 84% of cell phone users claim that they attached to a bookstore. Anna and longingly about the simplicity of couldn’t go a day without their phone. Charlie (10 and 4) kept leaving Woody showing up for meals without having to Almost half of cell owners have slept and me to go and investigate books. I plan them. I realized later that I also with their phone next to their bed took a few sojourns to the store to see love that we are all there without because they wanted to make sure what they were up to. Invariably one or devices. It struck me how very rare this they didn’t miss any calls (and I would both of them would be sitting on the is. Next time you go to an eating add ‘texts’). Also, Japan's Education kids’ chairs flipping through a book. establishment, scan the area and see Ministry plans to set up camps offering Meanwhile, back at the table while how many people you see who are addicted students a chance to unplug waiting for our food to arrive, both looking at their screens instead of the Woody and I managed to be at some people they are eating with. We are so ... continued on page 30 T H E P A D D L E R ● W I N T E R 2 0 1 5!!!!!! !!! P A G E 2 Adventure Earned: How Campers Can Contribute to the Cost of VII By Cori-Anne Huisman (Wanapitei Staf and VII 2013 Alumnus) and Jackie Hodgins (Wanapitei Board Member and Trip Driver) HEN I WAS A camper, I would watch the VIIs come paddling under the bridge at W the end of each summer. Even before I could fully understand the experience they had come back from, I was able to recognize the excitement written on their tanned and smiling faces, and the pride mixed with tears streaming down their cheeks. All winter, I would tell my Cori-Anne (font row, fifh fom right) and Jackie (font row, seventh fom right) on the dock family over and over, “One day I will do afer VII in 2013. a VII.” Time flew by and soon I was a sunk in. It was a fact of life that I didn’t The fall before my VII, I paid my Pioneer. Occasionally, I would hear a fully understand. My parents would talk parents half the cost from money I had camp friend say “I’m not sure if I can numbers when we bought things, but earned all by myself. It felt good. Over afford it,” when asked if they would that’s all they were to me, numbers. the years I had been saving I had come come back next year but it never really After my second year of Pioneers my to realize how much work it takes to parents brought up the idea of asking make a little money, and I now me to pay for half of the cost of my understood that my parents worked VII. I may have groaned and hard to support the family. I was proud. complained initially but it soon became VII was not an adventure I had the a challenge. If I wanted to do a VII, I privilege of going on, it was an had to work for it. adventure I earned. A few weeks later I approached some When I paddled under the bridge at Volume 18, Number 1 Winter 2015 teachers and got a tutoring position. I the end of that summer, laughing and took a course and picked up some grinning, I knew that the adventure had EDITOR ..................................... JENNIFER JUPP regular babysitting jobs. They weren’t been mine. When my younger sister DESIGN & LAYOUT ......... ERIN SUNSTRUM big jobs and they weren’t permanent gave me a welcoming hug I could see in The Paddler is published by but they were what I could manage her eyes that she had caught the same Camp Wanapitei Co-Ed Camps Ltd. Canada’s premier canoe-tripping camp since 1931, during my busy life. I quickly learned VII bug and that September my school based in Temagami, Ontario. about responsibility and time gained a new tutor. I learned more than Off-season address: management and before I knew it, I I would have expected saving for Camp Wanapitei began to have money of my own. It was something important in my life. 17B Southampton Street Guelph, ON N1H 5N3 a challenge of self-control when I had - Cori-Anne Huisman to make choices about spending and PHONE: (519) 767-9714 OR (888) 637-5557 SUMMER PHONE: (705) 237-8830 saving. I learned how to budget and ... Jackie Hodgins, Cori-Anne’s mom, E-MAIL: [email protected] make a résumé, among other things. continues the story on page 27 INTERNET: www.wanapitei.net P A G E 3 T H E P A D D L E R ● W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 Travel To and From Camp: A History by Bruce Hodgins members have slept in “Maki By Bruce W. Hodgins House” a cabin Wanapitei President and named after the Honorary Director Maki family. In the N THE 1920s, CAMP WANAPITEI beginning, most was located on the north shore of the people of Lake Wanapitei by the mouth got to of Parkin Creek, opposite the Temagami largeI outlet of the Lake onto the lower Village by train Wanapitei River. The Camp Director from Toronto. at that time, Ed Archibald, knew that A few came by the building of a large dam at the outlet car although the of the Lake would flood most of his part north of property. He therefore needed to move North Bay was his boys’ camp. Archibald was driven unpaved and in a power boat by Camp Keewaydin very bumpy. staff to the abandoned Paradis site. I Campers and write “Paradis site” because, prior to staff took “the Belle of Temagami” a For a time busses and parents drove Camp Wanapitei being in Sandy Inlet steam boat from Temagami, with campers to the town of Temagami. on Lake Temagami, the site had been several stops, to the new Wanapitei site. They then took small airplanes to camp. the home of Charles Paradis. He was a Then, around 1939 the Belle had its People were flown in by the three very controversial priest who ran a back broken when hauled up on land. Cessnas and one Beaver from Lakeland mission school for Métis boys from the “The Aubrey Cousins” then became the Airways – a fly-in air service company Verner area (located between Sturgeon boat of choice. It was a large diesel based in Temagami that is still in Falls and Sudbury). Within months of craft commanded by Captain Guppy. It business today. These float planes Archibald’s visit to the abandoned site, lasted through the 1970’s - over 30 years would land on the water and then ferry it became the new Camp Wanapitei on of traveling Lake Temagami carrying the passengers to the dock. This way of the north shore of Lake Temagami in Camp Wanapitei campers, parents, getting to camp continued for several Ferguson Bay (Sandy Inlet) by the visitors and staff members. years. During this time, the September mouth of the Red Squirrel River. This In the early 1930’s until the late 1970’s, Trent University Weekend group arrived of course, is where Camp Wanapitei is Camp Wanapitei was an official Canada at camp by the Bear Island Barge from today. In 1930, my parents, Stanley and Post Postal Office. Stanley Hodgins the end of the Mine Road. This was a Laura Belle, and my Uncle Cecil and became our official Post Master. John long, slow trip but the Barge could carry Aunt Marguerite, canoe tripped Scott and Carol Hodgins became postal dozens of people in one trip. Most of through the Temagami area and actually assistants. Then when the Aubrey us who were working and living at camp camped on the site that would later Cousins boat broke its back, the postal at the time left our cars at the end of become Camp Wanapitei in 1931.