Camp Northern Lights is a registered not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide wilderness experience to children 9 to 13 years who may not otherwise have this opportunity.
It has operated since 1972 in its current location on a small lake in the Haliburton area when the main cabin was erected by the Peterborough Knights of Columbus. At the time, the building housed a kitchen, pantry and dining room. Campers and staff slept in tents.
The camp began operating with five paid staff: a Camp Director, two cooks, a lifeguard and an Arts and Crafts Director. Amenities at the camp were sparse. A generator provided power for fridges and freezer, with propane fueling the stove and two light fixtures. The camp offered six weeks of camping: four for boys and two for girls.
After the camp was temporarily closed for two years, it reopened in 1985 offering three weeks of camping for girls and three for boys, supported by a newly-established volunteer Board of Directors who pro-vide an advisory role as well as hands-on help to keep the camp operating smoothly. One of the Board members has been with the camp since its first year of operation fifty – five years ago.
Randy Riel, a popular teacher from St. Peter’s and Holy Cross Catholic Secondary Schools began in 1972 as the camp’s first lifeguard.
There have been many upgrades and additions to the camp facilities. The camp has sleeping cabins for campers, staff and guests, docks accessing three swimming areas; canoes, kayaks, rowboats; a water trampoline and a flush toilet. There is hydro and flush toilets on site as well. Not so wilderness after all?
Campers and counsellors come from Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington areas. Each fall a referral request for potential campers is sent to Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Social Family Services, Kinark, St. Vincent de Paul, and the local Catholic and Public Elementary Schools. The High Schools in these areas also receive application forms for camp counsellor positions.
The camp recruits twelve to sixteen volunteer counsellors for each week of camp, who as volunteers gain valuable leadership experience as they help provide an unforgettable camping experience for the campers. In order to be eligible to counsel, applicants must have completed grade 9. The experience includes a four-day Orientation experience held at the camp, where they help prepare the facilities for the upcoming season, complete mandatory training to equipment them for their tasks and to develop their skills as camp leaders. They commit to one week of camp each year and leave with new skills, confidence and memories.
Thanks to a variety of fundraising efforts, the camper’s fee is only $60 per week. This is a heavily subsidized rate, and campers are asked to participate in one of the fundraising tag days the camp operates in the spring to build their commitment to the camp. Generous support is also provided through Camp Day collections at roughly 20 Peterborough parishes, Bingo operations and some generous local businesses. Private donations supply the remainder of the roughly $140,000 of annual operating and maintenance costs to keep the camp going each year.
To learn more, visit www.campnorthernlights.com.