From canoe rides and carrots to eating spaghetti with a whisk, Jackie loved every second of her summers at Moorelands Camp.
My name is Jackie. I’m 56 years old, a retired English teacher and I live in Canterbury, United Kingdom, famous for The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. I used to be a camper at Moorelands Camp.
When I was five, my parents decided to move from England to Canada as an exciting new adventure. They chose Toronto for the work opportunities, I’m guessing. I must have been seven or eight when I first arrived at camp, and I spent three summers there between 1976 and 1978—the years of flared trousers and polyester clothing!
I remember so much about Moorelands! I remember getting on the big yellow school buses that drove us three hours to Kawagama Lake. We were taught songs on the way up to camp and sang them at the tops of our voices on the way back home. I remember singing songs like “Oh they built the ship Titanic,” “I like to eat apples and bananas,” and “The Quarter-Master’s store.” In fact, my sister and I would then sing these for the rest of the summer, even once we’d got home. My parents must have loved that….
I remember getting on the motorboat to camp which I absolutely loved! I remember our cabins, the beds, the counselors giggling in their tiny room, the dining hall, the food, the activities—particularly canoeing, making candles in the sand, bonfires and toasting marshmallows—the sun, the trees, and the water. I even remember my shiny orange swimsuit—a true 1970s colour! I loved everything about it and I think of it often.
I went to camp with my best friend, Lisa, and we got on so well. I was quite shy, but because I had my friend with me, I found it fairly easy to make friends with the other girls. I felt very happy there.
“Moorelands taught me to appreciate nature, to get along with other people and to value the hard work that the counselors put in… It taught me to share… It taught me to try things that I didn’t always want to.” – Jackie
For one day during each camp session, the counselors would stand at the entrance of the dining hall with huge garbage bags full of kitchen implements, such as potato mashers or whisks. We had to plunge our hands into the bags and take out an implement (we couldn’t see what we were taking). We then had to eat with it for breakfast, lunch and supper. They served us spaghetti, and I thought it was incredibly funny. I also remember afternoon free time when we could nap or read, and I would read to the girls in my cabin. One summer, I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and that introduced me to Roald Dahl’s literature.
Moorelands taught me to appreciate nature, to get along with other people and to value the hard work that the counselors put in—thank you, counselors! It taught me to share (my mum would always send a parcel with candy and games, and I’d share these with the other girls in my cabin.) It taught me to try things that I didn’t always want to—we had carrots for a snack and they weren’t peeled, and I was a bit reluctant to eat them, but I did and they were fine; I was also a bit scared of canoeing at first, but Lisa and I tried it and had a great time.
Canada in the 1970s (flares and polyester aside) felt dynamic and exciting, and having a spectacularly beautiful summer camp to attend was such a joy and privilege. When you’re young, you do what you’re told and what your parents organize for you, without really thinking about it. As a grown up, though, you realize how these experiences have shaped you. Summer camp isn’t a ‘thing’ in England like it is in Canada. And so I really do value the opportunities that I was given, in particular going up to the most beautiful lake, enjoying the endless green of the trees and blue of the water. I feel so lucky to have been one of the few to have been able to muck around outdoors, endlessly, and eat with a whisk!
Moorelands is an incredible place and I genuinely loved every second. Counselors—you’re amazing. Thank you all for everything that you do. Campers—have the best time at camp. Be kind, share, enjoy every activity, and when you’re older, go back and be a counsellor and give back to the next generation of children.
Thank you to everyone associated with Moorelands. You’re the best.
With gratitude,
Jackie, Moorelands Camp Alumni