Keewaydin Temagami camp provides single gender wilderness canoe trips for boys and girls ages 10 to 18. Keewaydin remains true to the vision of our founder, A.S. Greg Clarke “The Commodore”, who wanted to start a camp that focused on canoe trips. Today we look much the same as we did in 1893; paddling in wood canvas canoes, using tump lines to portage canoes, equipment, and wannigans (the wooden boxes in which we carry food and equipment.) Meals are cooked over open fires and sections prepare all of their food from scratch. Groups (sections) of six to eight kids travel the surrounding wilderness waterways, often portaging from lake to lake or up and down rivers, making camp at new spots each night, sleeping in tents with one or two other campers. Traveling in the pristine wilderness of Ontario and Quebec, kids become part of a team, each member essential to the group’s success. These fun, empowering and safe excursions build outdoor skills while fostering strength, leadership, self-reliance and confidence. Lifelong friendships are formed and campers return home with a renewed sense of self.
Bruce Ingersoll has been the Director of Keewaydin Temagami since 2006. Beginning in 1976, he spent ten summers as a camper and trip leader at Keewaydin. A committed educator, he spent the 20 years after leading his last trip in 1986 teaching English and working as an independent school administrator. Bruce is joined on the island by his wife, Sarah, who runs the Keewaydin Outfitting Center, and their two daughters, Nathalie and Amelia, both of whom have traveled to Hudson Bay on seven-week Keewaydin trips.
Emily Schoelzel has been the Assistant Director of Keewaydin Temagami since 2010. Emily began her relationship with Keewaydin in 1999 when hired to lead the girls’ program. Emily spent 4 summers leading trips, prior to becoming Assistant Director, and has been a source of wisdom and inspiration to the thriving girls’ program. Emily brings intelligence, wit, trip experience, proven leadership skills focusing on young girls and women; as well as a breadth of experience as a successful business owner and a parent of two young children.
Founded in 1893 by A.S. Gregg Clarke and located on Devil’s Island on Lake Temagami in Ontario, Canada Keewaydin is the world’s oldest canoe-tripping camp. The camp remains true to Clarke’s vision: to operate a program focused on wilderness canoe tripping, with minimum time spent in base camp. Traveling in wood and canvas canoes, using leather tumplines and following routes that are centuries old there is not much that has changed at Keewaydin since 1893. Devil’s Island remains a rustic base camp for trips to outfit, organize, gather, depart from and then return home to amidst the roar of the Keewaydin cheer. While we embrace our traditions we employ the most up to date outdoor education best practices and philosophy.