Spring is Sprouting at Wanakita

Spring is coming to Wanakita! There's always an in between time, between winter and spring: the snow is melting, the mud is abundant and the water is too cold for activities - or still has ice in our case! Walking around Wanakita right now might look a bit ugly to some, but if you look closer, there's lots of beauty! 

 Some bulrushes seeding

 A view of the lake and islands from West Beach a week ago

Ice on the lake

The famous trees growing out of the rock cliff on the Forgotten Fores Trail

Brilliant colours in some of last year's Wintergreen

Reflections of cabins in the SC field

The ice is finally breaking up on the lake!

A beaver swimming in the swamp

Last year's maple leaf clinging to a sapling

A shelf of ice over a puddle; and its reflection

A beaver lodge

Some spring melt water running over ice and branches

New buds on a tree

The beaver dam along the Forgotten Forest Trail

 Bright red buds on a maple tree

 Happy Spring!

Spring is almost here and boy are we ready for it! Although we still have some snow and cold weather- and ice on the lake- we’re ready to get the boats in the water and our hiking boots on! Our busy winter is quickly turning into a busy spring! We’re experiencing a lot of new changes this spring, including opening our brand new renovated Dining Hall (“the Core”), and welcoming our new acting Summer Camp Director, Rankin Middlebrook! He brings with him a wealth of summer camp experience and wisdom from both Wanakita and other camps!  Welcome Rankin!


Below are some news and updates about what’s going on with Wanakita lately!

• Father-Son Camp: Introducing our brand new Father-Son Weekend! May 24-26, fathers, sons uncles, and grandfathers will enjoy a weekend of fun and bonding in the outdoors! Come explore with hikes, paddling and camping! These are just a few of the activities we will be offering during this new annual family weekend! Help spread the word!

• Dining Hall: Our brand new renovated dining hall will be opening in early spring, with a completely renovated kitchen! We will post photos of all the bells and whistles of this exciting new make-over!

• Spring Work Weekend: We have lots of eager volunteers lined up to help us out with opening up and rejuvenating our site! We will transform it from winter activities to spring and summer, and even work on site maintenance tasks like shingling and painting!

• Strawberry Social: Come one and all to our long-running annual Strawberry Social open house! On June 23^rd, 2013, Wanakita will be open for to the public to enjoy our site and facilities, including participating in camp activities like canoeing and archery, as well as enjoying a delicious buffet meal (with lots of in-season strawberries!) in our new dining hall! Contact us for more information.

• 60th Anniversary Celebration: Join us in Hamilton on September 21^st 2013, to celebrate 60 years in camping at YMCA Wanakita! This celebratory event promises to be memorable, with opportunities to reconnect with old friends and reminisce about the ways that camp has shaped us all. Stay tuned for more information.    

•  Our Facebook page has been updated recently and we have some fun weekly posts as well as regular news updates there. Check it out and "like" us! www.facebook.com/campwanakita.

• 2013 Program Availability:
• There is still room in our Summer Camp Program! Contact us for availability. 
•  There is still room in our Summer Family Camp Program! Contact us for availability. 
• There is still room in our annual Mother-Daughter Weekend, May 10-12, 2013!
• There is still room in our fall Women’s Weekends in September and October. Contact us for more information.

For Family Programs contact sarah_bell@ymca.ca or 1800-387-5081 ex 245
For all other Program inquiries contact wanakita@ymca.ca or 1800-387-5081 ex 100