Do you wonder why girls love Oconto?
Oconto is a very friendly, beautiful place – some kids even call it magic!
People just seem to be different at Oconto, willing to help a fellow camper out, caring, giving, understanding. The staff are really nice. Kind of like your Mom or Dad, while you are at camp, they look after you – but your friend, too.
How will meals work?
What kind of meals will I eat at camp?
What are the other girls like?
Can I be in the same zebo as my friend?
Who will my counsellor be?
Do the toilets flush or will I have to use an outhouse?
Where do I shower?
Our food is served family style, which means each table of eight campers and two staff gets a platter of each part of the meal (e.g. one plate of the main course, one plate of veggies, one plate of salad, etc.). Everyone is served a first helping, and seconds or thirds are available to who ever wants them. If a platter is emptied, you can take it up to the counter and the kitchen staff will refill it for you. There is lots of yummy food!
What kind of meals will I eat at camp?
Just like at home, you will be eating three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. At breakfast, there is always a hot option and a cold one. There is a box of cereal on every table every single morning as a cold option, and there is often also granola or yogurt. The hot items include things like pancakes, French toast, waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, muffins, and more. On Sunday mornings we eat what is called a Baker’s Breakfast, which includes lots of tasty things like croissants, cinnamon buns, and special muffins. There is always fruit, juice and hot chocolate too.
Lunch is sometimes hot and sometimes cold. We eat things like hot dogs, pizza, chicken burgers, and make-your-own sandwiches. There is always a salad or veggie sticks on the side. Lunch ends with fruit for dessert.
Dinner is always hot. It is typically a meat, vegetable and potato combination but we have lots of variation. Some of the most popular dinners include lasagne, spaghetti, fajitas, tacos, and turkey dinner with stuffing. There is always a fresh salad or a hot vegetable side. Dinner ends with a tasty dessert, anything ranging from popsicles or freezies to cookies, cake or pie.
What are the other girls like?
We have girls come to camp from many places. About half come from the Toronto area, many from Kingston, Ottawa, Peterborough, Quebec, some from the States and lots of other cool places like England, France, and Mexico! You will be with other girls about your age, and with forms you fill out online, we do our best to put you with other girls we think you will have a ton of fun with! It is like recess all day - you get to know your camp friends very quickly because you are together playing A LOT, eating and hanging out too. It is pretty rare that you have to sit and listen. You basically play all day! Many camp people have found their best friends to be their camp friends.
Can I be in the same zebo as my friend?
On the application form, there is a question about who you would like to live with; write down your friends name and have her write down yours. You may want to give us a few names to make sure we have some choices. There are only four, sometimes five girls in a group, so realize that we will do our best to put you with one of your friends, not the whole group! Camp is about making new friends and keeping old ones. If you come to camp to stay with girls that you already know, you won't branch out much; there are a lot of nice girls to meet, so this gives you an easy way to meet them!
Our counsellors have usually been Oconto campers themselves and completed the two-year counsellor in training program. They are either in their last year of high school or university students. The main priority for anyone working at Oconto is to love working with kids, and to give their campers the best summer possible. They also have all of their certifications to teach you their activity in a way that makes sure it is fun and safe. They are all very special girls!
Do the toilets flush or will I have to use an outhouse?
We do not have outhouses – all of our toilets flush! However, if you choose to go on an overnight trip you will have to dig a hole to use as a toilet.
There are two shower houses in camp – one at each end. They both have hot water and are available to be used at all free times. Each shower house has about five indoor showers and four outdoor showers, each with their own private stalls big enough to accommodate your clothes and towel without getting them wet. There is lots of privacy!
