A place to be yourself.
FAQ
Mail
Telephone
Laundry
Lodges
Washrooms
Accommodations (Cabins and Zebos)
Can I arrange to tour camp before summer sessions begin?
We encourage parents to send letters virtually every day. The first letter should be mailed one week before she leaves for camp so it will arrive close to your daughter's arrival at camp. In this way she will feel connected to family yet reassured about being away from home. Letters should be short, positive and encouraging. Never use them as a vehicle for bad news. Your daughter can write to you during her free time each day. Send several self-addressed stamped envelopes and writing paper to make letter writing easier for your daughter. Stamps, paper and envelopes are also available at the tuck shop. For our mailing address, see contact us. A care package from home is also welcome and makes campers feel great. We suggest short notes, postcards, letters, books, comics, t-shirts or small toys, as long as it is NOT food. Food is not allowed in cabins and zebos due to food allergies, and because it will encourage animals inside. Food from home can also cause problems about sharing between campers
We have one telephone at camp, which is limited to camp business only. Please do not send a cell phone with your daughter. With the exception of international campers or emergency situations, campers cannot make or receive phone calls, faxes or e-mail. Likewise, we do not encourage parents to call camp to talk to their daughters. From years of experience, we have found that girls who are involved, busy and having a great time can be easily distracted by a call from home. We want the focus of camp to be on camp, activities and friends, not on when the next phone call is coming. If emergency or "bad news" circumstances arise while your daughter is at camp, a personal trip to camp or a phone call may be necessary. Please contact Lisa to discuss the best method of relaying information and what is in the best interest of your daughter. Sometimes, delaying the information until she returns home may be an option.
Laundry is sent out once a week. Everything goes into the washing machine and dryer. Please send old clothes to camp, and make sure everything is labelled with a name tag.
Camp Oconto has a number of hidden jewels nestled amongst the trees. One of these is Labbett Lodge. The main gathering place and one of the original camp buildings, Labbett Lodge is considered to be an architecturally significant building.
With more than enough space for all two hundred campers, Oconto campers gather at Labbett Lodge for morning assembly, Sunday evening concerts and drama.
There are a number of washrooms with flush toilets conveniently located throughout camp in close proximity to cabins and zebos. Each section has one central washroom, and there are separate junior and senior shower houses.
Accommodations (Cabins and Zebos)
Tads, Chips, Eagles, Intermediates and Seniors each have their own living area and Lodge. There are two different types of accommodation. The youngest girls, the Tads, all live in cabins. The other campers stay in a cabin or a zebo. A Zebo is a wooden structure with a permanent roof and 2 roll-up canvas-like sides, which give the feeling of a tent and the comfort of a cabin.
If you would like to live with a particular person or two we cannot guarantee but we will do our best to accommodate your request. However, your friend must be coming in the same session with you (e.g. two week campers live with other two week campers, not with four week campers); your friend must be approximately the same age as you. It is also important that you ask for each other. If you DO NOT want to be with someone, it is essential that you let us know on the registration form. We strongly suggest that you ask to live with only one or two other girls. We really encourage you to make new friends at Oconto, and the temptation when you are living with a group of friends is to stick together and not make new friends.
Can I arrange to tour camp before summer sessions begin?
We would be happy to arrange a tour of Oconto prior to the summer sessions. The ideal time for this is Monday to Friday, May 15 to June 15. Staff will be available to escort you through the facilities and answer any questions. If these dates do not work for you, please contact us in the Markham office and we will schedule a tour at another time.
