What is a WILD Winter weekend?
Join us for a special Camp WILD winter edition! Embrace the winter chill and find warmth not just in the crackling fire, but in the shared laughter and joy that we discover together. Whether you're a seasoned winter enthusiast or on the journey of falling in love with it for the first time, this weekend is for you.
​As always, part of the magic of the Camp WILD experience is that it is truly co-created by the women leading it AND the campers! While we have a rough plan in place, the flow of the weekend is shaped by those present and their day-to-day needs. With a plethora of choices, both indoors and outdoors, the adventure unfolds in true 'choose your own adventure' style. Everything is an invitation. Your only job is to arrive exactly as you are.
Morning Practice
Winter Classics
Get Moving
Each day kicks off with optional early morning activities such as yoga or haiku writing.
It's time to relive your childhood. When was the last time you built a snow(wo)man? Had a snowball fight? Or had taffy on the snow?
Elbow Lake is on over 1000 acres including plenty of trails and a beautiful lake. Bring your own snowshoes, or we will have some available for you.
PLAYshops
Art, music and personal growth elements are offered throughout the weekend including sessions such as Living Aligned with Change or belly dancing or making a mandala.
Cold Plunges
Time in the lake doesn't have to be just for summer. Take a refreshing plunge into the invigorating world of cold dips if you dare (don't worry everything is just an invitation).
Sauna Time
A very special Camp WILD Winter addition - relax and rejuvenate in the soothing warmth of the wood burning sauna.
Evening Activities
Evening activities will be the perfect blend between cozy and fun!
YOU Time
Everything is an invitation so you are always welcome and encouraged to take time and space for yourself anytime you need it!
What is included in a WILD weekend?
Full permission to come exactly as you are
A weekend that is all about YOU, set in nature to help you unwind and let go of your everyday routines
Shared accommodation in heated cabins
Vegetarian meals (6) and snacks for the duration of camp - NOTE: The community will care for each other and each camper will be responsible to help in the kitchen for one meal
An incredible line up of activities led by a team of women who work and play in the fields of health and wellness, movement, and visual and performing arts
A beautiful intergenerational community of women (with a maximum of 24 to keep things cozy)
A technology free weekend to disconnect to reconnect
A drugs and alcohol free weekend to connect with your truest self
An incredible weekend filled with connection, nature and play
The Venue
Camp WILD Winter will be hosted on the traditional territory of the Anishnabek, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee peoples.
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We will all gather at Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre, located 30 km North of Kingston, Ontario.
What to expect at the venue:
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Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre is only accessible by personal vehicle - Camp WILD encourages, and will help facilitate, car pooling where possible.
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The paths throughout the site will be cleared of snow. There are paths between cabins and buildings but terrain may be slippery and uneven.
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Each cabin sleeps 3 with two bedrooms and a small kitchenette. One bedroom has a bunk bed and the other a double bed. Cabins and beds will be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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There are no bathrooms in the cabins. Bathrooms and showers are located in the main pavilion, in the centre of the property. Facilities include flush toilets and indoor shower stalls with hot water.
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Bedding and towels are not provided - you can bring a sleeping bag or sheets to make up your bunk.
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Cabins are heated but water bottles are also recommended if you are often cold at night.
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Our time together will be filled with choices of indoor and outdoor locations and difference levels of physical activities.
Logistics
Camp Check-in
Friday, February 9th - 5:30pm (Dinner provided)
Welcoming Circle
Friday, February 9th - 8pm
Camp Check-out
Sunday, February 11th - 4pm
You are responsible for your own travel to and from Camp, but we’ll help you coordinate carpools.
Meet the Team
Jenn Williams
Jenn is the founder of Camp WILD and after two awesome women summer camps, she's super excited to bring a winter version to the region. She is a community-minded and forward-thinking educator and facilitator who is passionate about helping people uncover passions, build confidence, and explore what it means to be human. Leveraging her background in outdoor and experiential education, she has been designing and hosting transformative learning experiences for more than 20 years with community at the heart of it all. In the winter you can typically find her skiing in Gatineau Park, skating down the canal or just enjoying the sparkle on the snow she can see snuggled up in her cozy living room. She is also a certified yoga teacher with a special love for laughing yoga.
Linda Vanderlee
Linda Vanderlee is another fantastic camp counsellor who brings six decades of camping experience and an expressive arts lens. Linda loves the sparks that flare when people and ideas connect. She believes in the power of self expression - for connection, fun and health. A facilitator and coach at heart, her spare time is often spent outdoors, hosting music jams and leading writing and other artsy type sessions in the community. She lives in a century-old barn she renovated into a home and workshop space in rural Quebec, just north of Ottawa. Her own emotions and ideas tend to be expressed in the form of workshop handouts, blog posts and most fondly ... song. https://www.lindavanderlee.com/
Yaffa Gowaily
Yaffa is a child at heart, and an artist who aims to raise awareness about social issues while making the world a better and more colorful place. Art practically runs through Yaffa’s veins. As a child, she felt that art was crucial in her upbringing as it helped mold her personality and tap into her emotions and inner essence and she loves bringing this into the lives of others.. Yaffa operates under the moniker of Yafa Arts & Crafts and is an active member of the art community in her hometown, Cornwall, Ontario. In 2020, she co-launched a passion project CORNWALL Art Hive to embrace cultural diversity in a fun and different way, while using art as a universal language. She’ll be offering a variety of art activities at Camp WILD Winter and belly dancing!
Lesa Baker
Lesa joins the Camp WILD Winter team as our outdoor guide. Regardless of the season, when Lesa isn't working as a nurse you can typically find her outside. She loves all seasons and fills her time with biking, kayaking, hiking, and rock climbing. In winter specifically she loves spending time in the snow alpine/nordic skiing, snowshoeing, hanging out around a campfire or just generally touring around. She even spends her winter weekends volunteering as ski patrol in Vermont. Lesa is stoked to be joining Camp WILD Winter and is excited to motivate and lead all of you winter curious folks into coming outside to play!
Camp WILD is dedicated to expanding equitable access to camp.
​Camp WILD acknowledges the barriers that exist in the accessibility of outdoor recreation and wellness spaces for Black, Indigenous and people of colour due to a lack of access and representation, economic disparities, and cultural barriers. We also acknowledge the deep rooted issues of summer camp, land use and colonization. Camp WILD is committed to continuing to learn and understand these systemic issues. We are dedicated to building relationships with communities in order to foster trust, understanding and collaboration and to actively seek input and feedback to inform our programming, policies and practices.
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Camp WILD understands that creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming community requires ongoing effort, reflection, and accountability. We will continuously evaluate and improve our programming to ensure that we are creating an environment that is inclusive and affirming for all women.
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Wild Women Bursary
Camp WILD acknowledges that the cost of retreats like Camp WILD is prohibitively expensive for many women and has therefore created the Wild Women Bursary. In 2024 these funds are specifically available to women for whom the cost of camp is a barrier, and who identify as Black, Indigenous or women of colour as part of our commitment to fight against systemic inequalities. If this is you and the cost of Camp WILD Winter is a barrier for you please reach out.
We hope to continue to grow this bursary both in funds available and eligibility criteria in the years to come.
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Donate
The Wild Women Bursary would not be possible without the support and solidarity of women. Every ticket sold includes a $25 donation to the bursary alongside an invitation to give more if it's available. If you are not attending camp but would still like to contribute please contact us at campwild@wildawakenings.ca.