Y Camp Alumni

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Y Camp Alumni

YMCA Camps Belwood, Ki-Wa-Y, & Waabanaki former Camp Staff

This site is for camp staff alumni who have worked at Camps Belwood, Ki-Wa-Y and Wabanaki and would like to reconnect with camp and their camp friends. We hope you find a few things, people or events on this site which will make you smile and chuckle at a memory and keep you revisiting time and time again.

05/16/2026

☀️ Flashback Friday ☀️

Friends from the summers of 2004 and 2005 at YMCA Camps Ki-Wa-Y, Belwood, and Waabanaki… recognize anyone? 👀

05/01/2026

It is with profound sadness that we share news of the sudden passing of Jaydon Attridge, a long-time leader at Camp Waabanaki and most recently Manager of Camp Waabanaki and Camp Belwood.

Jaydon was a deeply respected leader at camp and a beloved member of Waabanaki Community. His connection to camp spanned many years, beginning as a camper in 2006, LIT in 2010, CIT in 2011, and a counsellor in 2012, growing into an outstanding camp director who shaped experiences for countless young people.

Described often as thoughtful and creative, Jaydon will forever be remembered for his Crocs, his infectious laugh, and always sporting a camp shirt. He was always fixing, building, planning, and dreaming big, bringing extraordinary camp experiences to life for others. At the same time, he had a special way of making every camper feel seen, supported, and like they truly belonged.

There are no perfect words for this. He was a huge part of Waabanaki. For many campers, he was someone they looked up to, learned from, and shared some of their best camp moments with.

We are holding Jaydon’s family, friends, and the camp community close as we process this loss together. Our priority is supporting those who knew and cared about him. This past weekend, Jaydon’s family and friends shared a memorial here:
http://www.jaydonattridgememorial.ca/

We are humbled and honoured that Jaydon's family have chosen to direct donations to support Camp Waabanaki.

We encourage anyone who needs support to lean on their people, and to reach out to professional supports if needed. If you would like to connect with someone from our team, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

As we move forward, our team remains committed continuing the work Jaydon cared so deeply about: creating safe, welcoming, and meaningful camp experiences for every camper.

03/21/2026

𝗪𝗲'𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆...🎬

The Waabanaki alumni managed to recreate the famous Oscars selfie… and honestly, the resemblance is uncanny. Really.
We’d like to thank the academy… and also camp friendships that somehow survive decades and still know how to crowd into a photo.

Alumni event season is upon us! Have you signed up yet?
https://f.mtr.cool/tufdofyoym

03/15/2026

It’s happening.

The sunrise painting so many of you loved at Christmas is officially up for auction.

Camp alum and artist Melissa Duguid has titled the piece Morning Dip, capturing that quiet moment at camp just before the docks fill with campers and the day begins.

Melissa first came to camp as a camper in 1985 and later served as Program Director and Assistant Director at Ki-Wa-Y, and Camp Director at Frontier Day Camp. Camp continues to inspire her work, and she has generously chosen to auction the original painting in support of the Camp Fund.

🎨 Morning Dip
20” x 24” original painting
Bidding starts at $200
$10 increments
Auction opens today at 11:00 a.m.

Head over to to follow the auction and place your bid.

Camp magic… now on canvas.

03/14/2026

According to the official Canadian calendar…
we have now entered Second Winter.

Which makes it the perfect time to curl up somewhere warm and read the latest edition of The Morning Dip, where we confidently announced that spring is on the way.

✉️Check your inbox. If it’s not there, check your junk folder too.

🔔Quick correction: the Ki-Wa-Y Art Auction hosted by Melissa Duguid opens Sunday, March 15 at 11:00 a.m., not the 17th as listed in the email. Head over to her Instagram tomorrow at 11.

Bonus points to anyone who finds any other typos. Camp is always recruiting volunteer proofreaders.

02/22/2026

Where’s the coolest place you’ve sported your camp gear?

Airport?
Mountain?
Different continent?
Just proudly at your kid’s soccer game?

I’ll go first. Ki-Wa-Y hat at Niagara Falls 🌊

Hi, im Courtney, and I’m the one behind this account and The Morning Dip newsletter. If you've ever been asked for an old camp photo, or spotted yourself in a throwback post… that was probably me.

My job is simple: keep the camp story going.

You’ll find me at alumni weekends, running around taking pictures, asking what year you were on staff, and whether you still remember the words to that song.

Drop the location or share a photo. 🌍🔥

02/15/2026

Happy Family Day Weekend, Alumni!

One of our favourite camp debates? How camp songs evolve. They shift with the times, travel from camp to camp, and somehow take on brand-new meaning with each generation. Just like slang, they’re little time capsules of the era.

Case in point: Felicity and Maya leading “The Day I Went to Sea.” Same song. New energy. New voices. Same camp magic.

For those who’ve been back for Alumni Weekend, what changes have you noticed?
What sounds unmistakably Waab, Belwood, or Ki-Wa-Y the moment you hear it?

Drop your thoughts below. Let’s compare notes. 🎶🔥

02/01/2026

Does anyone remember pond hockey at Ki-Wa-Y?
Huge thanks to Allison Soulliere for digging these pics up and sending them our way. 🏒❄️
A classic Ki-Wa-Y throwback and a great reminder of pond hockey days at camp.

01/20/2026

We’ve had an increase in bot and spam comments sliding into this page lately. Thanks for your patience while we get a better grip on it.

We appreciate everyone sticking with us as we work through it.

To keep this space positive and interruption-free, we’ll be pausing conversation on this page and opening a private alumni group within the next week or so. A group gives us better tools to keep bots out and real camp people in... The bots will slide right past us instead.

We’re in the middle of camp registration right now, so once that rush clears and we’re back on steady ground, we’ll make the switch and share next steps.

Thanks for hanging in with us and helping keep this community a good one, even when things get a little slippery. 🛝😆

01/03/2026

We got a little snow.

Address

3738 Hessen Strasse
Wellesley, ON
N0B2M0

Telephone

+15196995100

Website

https://www.ymcathreerivers.ca/camp-and-outdoor-centre

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