Campers and Parents
Dear Ak O Mak Campers and Parents,
We hope that all our Canadian campers had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, safe at home with family and friends, enjoying the cosy fall weather!
The last days of our main session in August flew by quickly, filled with fun, laughter and great memories! On September 1st, the final goodbyes were said and with a tinge of sadness we watched the last of our campers and parents drive away.
However there was no time to relax, as camp had to be cleaned and the staff get ready to receive two more camping groups in the days that followed. Around the lake cooler temperatures were setting in, and we were able to witness the gradual colour change of the leaves from the vivid green of summer to the riotous red, yellow and orange that herald the approach of autumn.
The very next day we welcomed a group of 32 second-year Kinesiology students from the University of Western Ontario. They arrived promptly at 2pm on Sunday afternoon and stayed for five days. Every morning as steam rose from the lake we could hear the laughter and splashes of the students as they headed out for their early bird paddle or swim.
Before leaving, the entire UWO group spent an entire afternoon helping us to complete some of the necessary ‘closing down’ jobs around camp – dismantling the docks, hauling in the sailboats and storing the kayaks in the shed. Many hands definitely make work ‘light’ and we got it all done in record time! The students and their team leader thanked the Ak O Mak staff for their hospitality and warm welcome, and especially Chef in the kitchen for preparing such delicious meals!
Following the departure of the UWO group, our AK O Mak staff welcomed another group of 42 parents and kids from WRMS from Brantford for a 3-day swim camp.
Despite the chillier temperatures, every morning the kids (some of them not older than 7 years) got up to do their early bird run or swim without a whimper! Then, with a lovely fire roaring away at the fireplace in the main house, the whole group tucked into a delicious breakfast before heading out into the crisp autumn air to start their paddling practice.
The Brantford Swim club also cheerfully pitched in to help us do more of the cleanup around camp before they left. They moved all the canoes into the main house, put the paddles away and helped us haul down and store the nets from the football field and volleyball courts.
In the meantime, the remaining Ak O Mak staff were busy every day with all the other countless ‘closing down’ chores around camp that need to be done: packing up the office and store, closing down the pump house, making sure all the cabins and hops were cleaned, and tidying up the laundry house. The amount of work that goes into setting up and closing down camp is truly staggering!
Before camp closed, we had a stroke of good fortune in being able to retrieve one of our sunken kayaks from the lake, with the help of John, a skilled diver from Parry Sound. After spending one entire cold and rainy Saturday morning on the lake searching for the kayak without success, John willingly returned the following weekend to continue his search – this time with success! We were able to hoist the sunken kayak onto our boat and tow it into shore, and it’s now safely locked away with the rest of kayaks in the bicycle shed.
Despite the long hours and hectic schedule of camp life, it has been a wonderful summer season and we are truly grateful for the support of our loyal parents and campers, without whom there would be no camp!
Ak O Mak is now closed for the winter, but the work behind the scenes continues to ensure that our campers and parents have a truly wonderful and unforgettable experience for the 2013 season!
News Updates
We would like to thank you for following the new updates and appreciate your patience regarding the recent delays in postings.
We have been having some technical difficulties with the website that have been worked on throughout the summer; however some of these issues still persist.
The last news updates had been posted but not updated onto the website. They are there now so you can catch up on all of the fun this week at Ak-O-Mak. Hold tight, because there are still a few more exciting things to come!
Thanks again!
Hayley
Misty Morning at Ak-O-Mak
This is the beautiful scene that we woke up to this morning at Ak-O-Mak. It feels like we’re walking through the clouds in a dream. The mist is up to the top of the trees and orange rock can’t be seen.
By the time the girls got down to early bird the mist had cleared so the girls could have a great swim!
Today should be a BEAUTIFUL day at camp. The classes are rugby, tennis, volleyball, cabins are playing eachother in basketball, and of corse everyone has SWIMMING! YAY!
Happy Camping!
Hayley & Yukki
Off to the Polo Matches!
Well we have been having the most random weather up at camp! Hot, hot, hot, days which is making the water almost warmer than a swimming pool, and cool evenings for sleeping. Then we end up with cool rainy days…coincidently whenever “Princess” leaves camp. He must have an internal weather device.
As soon as there’s sunshine the girls hit the water and we can’t get them out!
We have been out in the war canoes and the racing canoes and kayaks, surf boards, paddle boards, and obviously SWIMMING!
Of course with the lake so lovely, swim practices have become a highly anticipated part of each day. Joni, Lou, and James have had the girls in for some great practices, and they have been going through the swimmers 1:1 stroke-correction.
Today we were visited by Prince William and Kate to take a break in the search for the Queen’s crown jewels. They came to Ak-O-Mak for a polo match!
Now of course we do not have horses at Ak-O-Mak so we have had to improvise with a PIGGY-BACK POLO match! As I type the girls are constructing their “box-seats” for the match and getting their game-faces on!
Happy polo!
Hayley & Yukki
On Your Mark. Get Set….nevermind
Sunday night the girls went to bed after campfire with the anticipation of the 3 mile race ahead of them the next morning. Bedtime on the cabin line was quieter than usual as girls dreamt of the quickest to get through the lily pads en route to Ahmic Harbour.
At 8:30 when the bell rang, calling the campers for breakfast. Monday being race day obviously called for a much appreciated
sleep-in.
When we all poked our heads out of the cabin to see what clothes we would need for after the morning evens our vision was greatly obscured by the golf ball sized raindrops falling from the sky. The race would have to be postponed until Tuesday, we crossed our fingers for great weather.
To keep warm and dry for morning classes they took place indoors or on the porch of the Main House. There were energetic zumba/aerobics classes in the Main House, self-defense classes by Rosie on the porch and deep in the depths of the cabin line, way down in cabin seven there was a royal rumble in the ROCKTAGON! Campers took the form of sumo wrestlers with their lifejackets on as sumo pants and tried to belly bump their way to dominance against their cabin-mates.
This afternoon heralded another team comp event! Simon Cowell, super-model Twiggy, and Harry Styles from One Direction challenged the campers to compete in Ak-O-Mak’s very own round of X-Factor…somehow this would surely bring back the Queen’s crown jewels…maybe they respond to dancing and singing.
Each team put on an amazing performance! It was quite tricky to determine who the winners were. Of course I can’t tell you now or it may give away the rankings in Team Comp. You’ll just have to wait for the results at banquet!
After dinner we played tons of crazy games on the back field. The girls have headed off to their cabins for another restful night, hopefully tomorrow will bring us some sunshine! Cross your fingers and toes for us!
Sweet dreams and happy camping!
Hayley & Yukki
Telephone Time
Tomorrow (Sunday, August 26) is the day that you can finally begin to call in and speak to your camper!
Just a few reminders:
Each camper is only permitted one telephone call, if you would like to have further contact sign up for BunkNotes or send some snail-mail. Remember, if you send them 3 pieces of mail they get to sing a song in front of the Main House and 5 pieces of mail meeeaaaans….IN THE LAKE!
Phone calls are limited to 5 minutes. We have lots of campers who are anxiously waiting to hear from their loved ones as well, so in order to give everyone a chance at the telephone we ask that phone calls are kept to 5 minutes.
Calls are only taken during meal-times:
Breakfast: 8:30 am – 9:15 am
Lunch: 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Dinner: 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm
If we do not answer the telephone it is because we are out of camp for that meal, try again the following meal. On Sunday evenings we are not in the Main House for dinner because we have a barbeque on Sandy Beach.
On Monday we will be having an early breakfast so you can call your camper between 7:15 am and 7:45, however we will not be in the Main House for lunch so no one will be answering the camper line.
The Camper telephone line is 705-387-1919
This is the only line that you will be able to reach your camper on so please do not call our business line.
If no one answers that is because there is currently a camper on the line, please be patient and call back again.
Thanks so much and Happy Camping!
Hayley & Yukki
Knoepfli Mile Swim
Yesterday we went across the lake to our brother camp, Camp Chikopi for the 1 mile swim to Knoepfli.
It was an early breakfast so that we could make it over to Chikopi for the start of the race.
When we arrived the girls made their way to the starting line. While waiting the girls burst out in cheers, “AK, AK, AKOM, OM,OM, OMAK, AK-O-MAK, AK-O-MAK, WOOOO!” echoed through Ahmic Lake.
“BANG”, the starters pistols went and the race had begun. From the very start two Chikopi CIT’s looked strong and took the lead, but hot on their heels were two Ak-O-Makkers, Samantha S. and Gillian T. They all stayed together for the entire race and out of nowhere Vanessa G. popped into their wake. The race was great and finishes were tight!
Joni, Lou, and James have had the girls in the lake practicing their open water swimming and it certainly showed in their results. All of Ak-O-Mak completed the race in less than 45 minutes!
After the race we went back to Chikopi for lunch and the afternoon’s events of Field Day. The sun camp out and it was a beautiful afternoon. The field was full of shrieking and laughing as the campers from both camps played traditional field day games like, toss the wellie (it’s exactly what it sounds like…throwing a boot), the plank walk, dizzy-lizzies, and trying to catch soccer balls in bed sheets. Some Chikopi campers may have been missing their bedding last-night. The teams had to try and go to as many stations as possible to accumulate the least amount of points. The winning team gets to pick a mystery prize out of the “dark bag” and obviously earns bragging rights between both camps. At the end of all of the games eveyone headed to the lake to cool off. Then Chikopi presented awards and we headed back to camp for dinner.
Girls 10 and under
1st place Caroline M. 29:47:18
2nd place Trinity Z. 33:53:03
3rd place Coco C. 37:53:03
Girls 11 and 12
1st place Aleska G. 25:10
2nd place Hailey N. 27:12
3rd place Madeleine M. 27:34
4th place Jessica C. 28:40
5th place Miryam G. 29:46
6th place Marni G. 29:49
7th place Annie R. 32:31
8th place Jillian A. 33:14
9th place Marion D. 33:34
10th place Olivia O. 33:57
11th place Kaitlyn H. 37:51
12th place Chloe S. 40:03
13th place Sabrina J. 40:06
14th place Cassie C. 42:03
Girls 13 – 14
1st place Vanessa G. 22:38:20
2nd place Rebecca N. 23:53:61
3rd place Alexis B. 23:58:03
4th place Allison M. 23:58:93
5th place Katy G. 24:06:68
6th place Jackie D. 25:06:56
7th place Kate A. 25:13:43
8th place Carolyn D. 25:15:25
9th place Sam M. 27:31:27
10th place Zoe M. 27:47:86
11th place Sarah E. 28:06:11
12th place Ashlynn M. 28:31:25
13th place Mary Kate J. 28:46:28
14th place Dana S. 28:50:50
15th place Brooke H. 28:52:25
16th place Jodie M. 29:49:41
17th place Samantha G. 32:48:47
18th place Samantha B. 33:13:68
19th place Kaitlyn L. 33:56:56
20th place CeeJay M. 34:04:21
GIRLS 15-17
1st place Samantha S. 22:27:20
2nd place Gillian T. 22:28:63
3rd place Isabella J. 23:55:86
4th place Yvonne K. 25:08:64
5th place Erin L. 25:19:56
6th place Elspeth C. 25:25:25
7th place Nina V. 25:44:28
8th place Elizabeth M. 26:46:26
9th place Garima K. 26:50:28
10th place Hailey M. 27:26:96
11th place Maggie P. 27:38:72
12th place Ainsley D. 27:40:46
13th place Ryleigh S. 28:05:56
14th place Jocelyn W. 28:21:64
15th place Sarah L. 28:40:18
16th place Paige H. 28:42:03
17th place Erin T. 28:46:53
18th place Celine C. 29:59:18
19th place Sarah W. 30:40:11
20th place Samantha G. 33:54:33
Happy Camping!
Hayley & Yukki
The British Invasion!
In the wake of the London 2012 Olympics a travesty has occurred! Through all the excitement and chaos in the past few weeks it appears that the Royal Guards became distracted by the commotion. Between protecting their dear Queen and watching all of the swimming finals they neglected to protect the crown jewels and now it appears that they have gone missing!
Some suspect Usain Bolt, 100 meters in 9.63 seconds is fast enough to snatch the jewels undetected. Others are suspecting that Michael Phelps is simply not content with being the most decorated Olympian of all time and wanted to acquire more “decorations” for his collection. The IOC is denying any involvement from any Olympic athlete or coach and have demanded that Scotland Yard be removed from the case! The Queen, very distraught by this news explored every option she had. After exhausting all resources throughout Europe and the Common Wealth she decided she only had one last option.
Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, her prize winning corgie and her newly hired guards, “Union” and “Jack” ventured across the Atlantic to Camp Ak-O-Mak. She has recruited the help of all of the campers and counselors as well as a mix of British All-Stars to put an end to the mystery of her stolen jewels!
She divided the camp into 4 teams for better investigation efficiency. Each team was required to make a team name, flag, cheer, and – as the Queen is quite the lover of theatre – each team was also required to present all of this in a dramatic performance.
The four teams are, Groovy Baby, H Factor, The Spic(e)y Crumpets (spelling is not their strength, but that is no matter to Her Royal Highness), and Sherlock’s Spicy Mystery…something or other. Their name is so long and with the stress of her missing jewels the Queen simply cannot remember the rest of it. She is also a little shocked at the “Spicy” theme as to her British food has always seemed rather bland and beige to her, like the weather. Nonetheless she is quite certain that these teams will be able to solve the case and find her “bling”.
Happy Team Comp!
Hayley & Yukki
Barrie Triathlon puts athletes through their paces
By Cheryl Browne, Barrie Examiner
Sunday, August 12, 2012 6:10:44 EDT PM
The ability to do one thing well is a gift.
When you can do three well during a time trial, you’re to be envied.
With the London Olympics fading into our memories, Barrie Triathlon athletes enjoyed both cool weather, a calm bay and a crowd of hundreds to cheer them through their physically exhausting endeavours Sunday.
“It’s all hard in its own way,” said Gary Pluim, who moved to Barrie one year ago. “You never know how your legs are going to feel on the bike, or how you’ll do in the water.”
Pluim placed well in his first triathlon of five kilometres running, 20 kms biking and 700-metre swim.
“I figured I had no excuse not to do it,” said Pluim. With two four-month-old twin boys at home, Pluim said he’s been training whenever possible during the past few months.
“Although it was a feat sometimes just to get out of the house. I owe my wife a month of diaper changes and early morning feedings,” he laughed. “It was worth it. It’s a really great event.”
As athletes ran through the finish line, volunteers removed anklets denoting their times that were taken and uploaded onto the sportstats.ca website.
Gerrie Maitland, organizer of the event for the past five years, said he was full with 600 adults in the triathlon and duathlon.
“It’s a small community race, and we’re sold out every year,” said Maitland. “We’re promoting an active lifestyle and people get that.”
Maitland said proceeds from every race go towards the AIR or Adaptive & Inclusive Recreation program that pairs disabled children with adult athletes.
Another Barrie competitor, Carrissa Geertsema, 33, also has twin boys who are almost three-years-old.
Catching her breath after running through the finish line, she said the swimming was the toughest segment for her and was glad she’d borrowed a road bike for the 20 kms bike portion.
“(On the bike) there was less resistance, it was so smooth,” said Geertsema. “This was my first triathlon and it was perfect weather, it was just great.”
Alex Buehlow, 17, of Kitchener, said it’s the third time he’s competed in Barrie’s beachfront triathlon.
“For me, the tough part is the bike. I’m not as strong in that part of the course,” he said. “But the water is nice and flat. It felt good.”
Dennis Liao, 16, competed against his older brother Miles, 19, to see who would win.
Members of the Barrie Youth Triathlon Club that practises on Johnson’s Beach and Sunnidale, the teenagers agreed Dennis won on the track, but Miles performed better on the bikes.
“It’s partly mental, partly physical,” said Dennis. “You’ve got to be physically fit to get through it, but you’ve got to tell yourself you’re going to keep going and not give up.”
Notable finalists in the triathlon include Nancy Gribben of Weston in the female 35-44 category at 1:08 and Paul Bregin of North York who finished first at 58:44.
Joceyln Saunders and her daughter Brooke of Newark, NJ finished at 1:03 and 1:07 respectively.From the start, Brooke Saunders of Camp Ak-O-Mak leads the pack as the 25 and under women take to the waters of Kempenfelt Bay during Sunday’s Barrie Triathlon. The annual race consisted of a 700m swim, 20km bike ride followed by a 5km run. Jessica Pretty of Barrie finished at 1:09.
In the Duathlon, Tony Podziemski of Barrie in the mens 54-54 age category won with a time of 1:10 and Kylee Innes of Innisfil in the female 16-24 category finished with a time of 1:27.
In the Kids of Steel categories, Owen Byers of Barrie and Elaina Allen-Hall of Sudbury won in the ages six and seven group, Bohdan Hrotovytskyy of Toronto and Aika Elliott of Niagara Falls won for the age eight and nine group, Teagan Shapansky of Ottawa and Logan Harris of Etobicoke won in the 10-11 age group. Emily McTier of Camp Ak-Omak and Liam Donnelly of Cambellville won in the 12-13 age group and Dylan Pust of Durham and Katarina Mayer of Camp Ak-Omak won in the 14-15 age group.
For information and full results, visit www.barrietri.com.
Keeping In Touch With Your Camper
Snail Mail: You can write your camper a letter or send them a package. Please note, if you are sending a package to your camper all treats must be nut-free. Camps address is:
Camp Ak-O-Mak
240 Akomak Road
Ahmic Harbour, ON
P0A 1A0
Canada
If your camper did not bring stamps to camp, don’t worry! We put stamps on them before they are sent and the cost of the stamp goes on their candy account.
Bunk Notes: You will need to set up an account with Bunk1 before you can take advantage of Bunk Notes, Camper Photos and Bunk Replies. If you have not set up an account…
1. Go to the Camp Ak-O-Mak homepage and click “Bunk Notes Login” on the top right corner of the page.
2. Once you have registered camp will receive an email for approval. Bunk1 pages contain information about campers. For their safety, only registered users can view these pages. Please be patient, if we are out of the office approval will not happen immediately.
3. Once approved you can view camper pictures and send an email to your camper!
Receiving Bunk Replies
You must provide your camper with Bunk Reply Stationery to receive Bunk Replies. Attach Bunk Reply Stationery when you send Bunk Notes to your camper.
Once your camper receives the stationery she can write you a reply between swimming, playing, and eating candy.
Phone Calls Each camper is allowed to receive one, 5 minute phone call beginning next Sunday (August 26). There will be an update posted next Saturday including the telephone number for the camper line.
Happy Camping!
Hayley & Yukki
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