Camp Canaqua Ottawa Hq

Tanis Halpape

07/14/2024

Our three kids just finished their 4th and 3rd year at camp can aqua. They love going to this camp, with each year being better than the year before. They enjoy the water activities, camping trips, games, zip-lining and pickle ball courts. Every year the camp seems to add something new to keep it exciting. Overall great camp with enthusiastic staff and lots of fun things for the kids to do— they are already talking about next summer !

D.A. Campos

03/18/2024

Me and my family (kids aged 5-7) have attended a few family camp events over the past couple years and have always had a fantastic time! Last summer we were worried that my 7 year old daughter would be too young to have a full camp experience, but we ended up signing her up for a one-week session. Well, she enjoyed herself so much, that we were able to sign her up for a second week! I have just registered her for a 2 week session for the upcoming summer and she can't wait to return. Thanks to all the wonderful camp staff who have provided such positive memories and experiences! My youngest daughter can't wait to come to camp when she is a bit older!

A. Schaffer

06/30/2024

** As an educator and experienced programmer, camps that offer programs for children as young as 5 often implement confidence building programming by giving children the feeling of independence. While supervision takes a less obvious form, supervision should still always be present. This was not the case at camp canaqua. ** I sent my children (ages 8 and 10) to this camp in the summers of 2022 and 2023 after researching, reading reviews and speaking to the camp director (Andrew Martin or Marty). After hearing their experiences upon their return each time, I decided not to send them back again because a lot of what I heard from them indicated there are issues with adequate supervision at the camp. Both children experienced getting lost from their group at camp for significant periods of time, one of them in a thunderstorm. Each ended up missing programming (one of them missed a group session party due to being lost from their group. The other missed a whole activity session. My younger child said she asked for help finding her group but that person became distracted talking and she was left alone again. Both my children experienced bullying in the cabin. One of them some ongoing gender based bullying that I believe would be prevented with adequate cabin supervision. It is my opinion children under the age of 10 should be supported in their hygiene while away at camp and neither of my children had support with this. Their counselors did not assist finding things in their bags or ensuring their weekly shower time happened. Neither of my children remembers being offered a shower in either year they attended. Both children attended the short-stay sessions which are described as providing a more supported introduction to being at camp. I did not see this reflected in their experience, and I see from the owner's reply, that my concerns are something to argue against instead of useful feedback. The lack of support and supervision I inferred from them recounting their experiences resulted in my children feeling lost, like they were missing out, and at the mercy of older children in the session. I am so glad it did not result in injury or trauma. Both of my children are reasonably independent and self-guided in play. We do back country camping and provincial park camping as a family and they are competent with minimal support. I do not feel comfortable having my children back at this camp and do not trust this camp to facilitate the water activities they advertise as available to the older sessions given the lack of basic supervision and support in beginner programming. The positive things my children reported about Camp Canaqua were: the food, the swimming, water play, and the Canaqua games. Further, on both occasions my children attended camp I tried to purchase them camp swag and the tuck shop failed to give them their stuff, despite me filling out google doc order forms and connecting with tuck shop staff at drop-off. My son was dropped off with ear drops as he was almost recovered from an ear infection. I connected with the staff who administers meds at drop-off about the drops. He was given his medication the first day but did not receive it again after that. It has taken me several months to decide to leave this review even though I have long since decided they would not return because I felt so upset about the experience they could have had if they had been more supported. After long consideration I feel confident in my, assessment. Both children have processed their experiences and said what they wished would have been different, most of which amounts to just needing more supervision and support. I believe the spirit and comeraderie are there, but it is my assertion the staff are not as rigorous with supervision as they should be to the point it is not safe for the ages they say they can accommodate in the short stay session (ages 5-11). Please only consider sending your child if they are older and can independently manage the above-mentioned issues and are competent to care for themselves fully without guidance.

Luke Musselman

08/28/2023

Having been a camper & member of their Leadership programs, Camp Can-Aqua is truly a wonderful place to spend parts of your summer! Hence the name, Camp Can-Aqua has a focus on water activities & sports (Water Skiing, canoeing, swimming, kayaking, etc), however your child essentially holds the power to participate in a wide host of land activities, such as Nature, Archery, Campcraft or Woodworking. Each and every one of these instructors of specific activities are committed to teaching the children & making sure they have the best time of their lives! Many of these activities have awards that are taught in a fun way; for example, the most advanced Archery award challenges campers to make their own Bow & see if it works with a typical archery arrow, however the most basic award teaches campers how to be safe & how to shoot a basic bow. Every award is suited to a campers' previous knowledge and there will always be awards that campers can work on! Furthermore, the general atmosphere at Camp Can-Aqua is extremely inclusive; anyone will fit in regardless of race and gender or ethnic identity. Similar to their valuable roles of instructing, these wonderful staff members double as exceptional counselors; children will always feel included in the cabin and will consistently be engaged with their peers. Days are similarly structured; the typical day will contain 3 substantial + nutritious meals, 4 activities to complete awards, do swimming lessons, try something new, etc., a rest hour + 1 hour of free time (these are at separate parts of the day), and an evening program. Your child's safety is always placed above all; upon entering the waterfront, children are carefully counted in and counted out when finished; there are regularly a surplus of lifeguards during the once-per-session lake swim or even just on a standard day and camp equipment is safe and functionable. There is a designated health centre, which always has band-aids, campers' medications and places to rest should your child feel ill, with a designated doctor/nurse. The camp lies on a large, beautiful plot of land, conveniently located beside lovely Beaver Lake, in the charming Haliburton Highlands. If you are looking to send your child to an overnight summer camp, Can-Aqua is certainly a stellar option!

stephane charbonneau

09/02/2019

Our daughter LOVED her first year at Camp Can-Aqua! All of the staff were so friendly and welcoming, to the point that our son who was not registered for camp thought that he would also like to stay on arrival day. The food was kid-friendly and the variety of activities were well planned. Our daughter can’t wait to go back again next year. Thanks for the amazing experiences and memories that you created for her!