My Camp Experiences

Since 2016, I have been attending the Tim Hortons Leadership camp at various locations across Canada and the United States. The program enables youth, from ages 12-17, who come from lower-income families to spend 10 days overcoming obstacles, meeting new people, and experiencing new things they, otherwise, might not ever have the chance to. 

My personal experience with the camp has honestly been beneficial to me as a person, as it helped me grow and become more confident. I have learned so many new things about who I am, and who I want to become, as well as making new friends.

Every year when school finishes, I usually countdown the days until I can travel across the country and travel across the country and go back to camp. I spent my first year of camp in St. George, ON; my second year in Kentucky, U.S.A; and my third and fourth years in Seven Sisters Falls, MB. Attending this camp each summer has also allowed me to go on my first plane ride to Kentucky, then again to Manitoba. Going on a plane was quite nerve-wracking, as I’d never even been out of the country before, but once I was up in the air, it was amazing.

I have always been a shy kid, so my first year was pretty nerve-wracking. I was afraid that I would not know anybody, or that I would not make any new friends. Luckily, a couple friends from my school were also attending my camp so I would not be completely alone, and I had even made some new friends waiting at the designated bus stop. The bus ride to camp was full of energy, as all the campers watched movies and sang songs. When I arrived at the camp, the scenery was breathtaking- all the nature, and even the architecture. The food was amazing, and I even enjoyed waking up in the morning just to see the sun rise. During those 10 days, I learned how to fish, make friendship bracelets, and even how to set a table properly. 

My second, third, and fourth years of camp were quite similar to my first, except I went on longer camping trips and learned how to set up a tent, canoe, and cook meals using a portable stove.

I also learned more about myself in the wilderness, who I am, as well as who I want to be. My cabin’s daily debriefs were also helpful for me to discover who I am, as we’d have some time at the end of the day to write down our thoughts and goals in our journals.

Activities like canoeing and hiking helped to clear my mind and not worry about anything that might be going on back at home.

This is officially my last year of camp now, but due to the current circumstances, the camp is online as an eCamp initiative, where campers are grouped together in mixed-gender cabins based on their level and time zone. Although the Tim Hortons Foundation is trying their best to still give everyone the camp experience, I still wish that I’d be able to spend my last year of camp the traditional way I would have; however, I am still willing to participate and make the best out of an unideal situation.