Youth Leadership Camps Canada

Camper Testimonials

• "Erin,
  
  I cannot even tell you the amazing time that I had at camp. this session was truly amazing. I am just thinking about how before camp I was so nervous, and I guess curious as to what camp would be like. now that I am home after the two weeks, I am not thinking about that any more. Though I am really thinking about the amazing time that I spent with everyone.
  
  My time was truly amazing, and I am excited to come back for LIT. Tim was an amazing, amazing staff member, and he really inspired me in a lot of different ways. at all of the camps i have been to, staff are usually there to 'do their jobs', and they are only there for the pay. Tim, as well as the countless other staff, still did their jobs don't get me wrong, but they really got to know the campers. i felt like me and Tim were friends instead of councilor and camper.
  
  The thing that really stuck out at camp, was that everyone was happy. Everyone had a smile on their face. For me it was a place were i can be myself, and share my thoughts with people that i can trust. I enjoy meeting people that are willing to be friends, were 'rejection' is not possible, and friendship was the only way.
  
  I got a lot of valuable lessons this session, and life lessons as well. there are a lot of things in this world that have changed my life, and this camp, and staff, and campers are for sure added to the list.
  
  Again, I cannot exaggerate the great time that I had these two weeks and I am looking forward to spending another two, meeting new campers, and maybe staff when my LIT session rolls around.
  
  Thanks again,
  
  Josh
  

  - Josh Keller

  Camper 2009

• "August 2009
  
  Hi Stu!
  
  I just wanted to thank-you for the amazing two weeks that I had in the Navigator program. Larissa and Mac were great and I have decided to come for a program in July and August next year. YLCC feels like another home to me and now being at home I feel "camp-sick". Thanks for the great camp experience and opening my eyes to my capabilities. Can't wait to see everyone next year!
  
  From,
  
  Taylor McLaughlin

  - Taylor McLaughlin

  Camper

• "March 15, 2009
  
  Hey,
  
  I haven’t emailed in a while I’m really not sure if you remember me I know you meet like 60 billion kids, anyway I just wanted to tell you, I was looking at my journal the other day and I reached all of the goals I set for myself!
   
  I made Echo in my school. (Its like class leader and I organize dance's and school stuff)
  
  I’m Making a difference in my community (my local lake is really gross so my and 2 friends are going to clean it up today!)
  
  I Got At Least 6 A's on my report card!
  
  And I left early from camp to play a baseball tourney because my team was in first place, well I reached my goal and hit my first ever home run!
  
  I just wanted to thank you and all the YLCC staff for helping motivate me, i would have never reached my goals or even started making goals if it wasn’t for you and everyone being so supportive and motivated, on my last day I did the high ropes were I jumped off the platform and hit the water tube thing and said I would never be afraid of what people think of me. Everyone was saying they didn’t like my style when I got to grade 7 and I didn’t care what they thought of me.
   
  I think everything has paid off! I’m coming back this summer for 2 weeks, I’m gonna do the new program thing. anyway I’m really excited and i hope to talk to you again soon!
   
  From,
  
  The girl Who Reached Her Goals!

  - Krystle Brown

  Camper

• "YLCC is a home where you will be welcomed into with open arms, from your first day until you come back years later. It is a place of discovery, of love and life. It is the nights spent under the stars, figuring out who we are and why we are here.
  
  Any camp can be a leadership camp, but YLCC helps you discover who you are, and the leader within.

  - Kaitlin Wainwright

  YLCC Camper, CIT

• "Wow, it was my first time at an over night camp and Thank you so much for making me feel like I was in my comfort zone, but when I needed to I went out of my comfort zone. I'm coming back next year for 2 weeks!
  
  Thanks Stu, ORNJ, Trish, Cora, Derek, the amazing Kitchen staff, Hillary, all other counsellors and especially me counsellor Cory thanks.

  - Krystle Brown

  YLCC Camper

• "My best description of YLCC will fall short of what it deserves. No matter how hard I try, camp is simply indescribable. But I’ll put into words what I can, and that is this: camp makes you realize the potential within the real you.
  
  It made me realize that it is ok to be the crazy me that everyone wishes they could be, but are too afraid of what people will think or say about them. It taught me teamwork, and how to handle struggles by taking things step-by-step. It is a positive environment that is tightly woven by the people within it. It’s about the memories that can never be forgotten with the people you will never forget.
  
  YLCC is just simply wicked, that is all I can say.

  - Elizabeth Koonst

  YLCC Camper

• "YLCC is a place anyone can go and find out about who they are, reach limits they would never think possible and have the chance to help other do the same. This camp is amazing for me because it changed my life, I was a quiet high school girl who just let things happen the way they did. After going to camp, I reached so many goals in my life and became vibrant and courageous.
  
  The affects this camp has on so many peoples lives is amazing. The opportunities it provides everyone, lets the teens see how to face situations in the real world. I don’t now where I would be today in my life with out the guidance I received at this camp.
  
  YLCC is an amazing place and I hope it stays around so that many more teens can go and be apart of this huge family that is YLCC.

  - Jenn

  YLCC Camper

Parents Testimonials

• "Dear Stu,
  
  Thank you Stu, and thanks to Erica who was his counselor. My son who hates camps convinced his friends to go next year, all together to your camp. The story of the mom who got her son PS3 was so funny. I wish a time will come and my son stop spending his precious time on games. Tonight he asked me to wake him up early, so he can join me at the Gym...
  
  I can't believe the change you made with him in two weeks. He sounds like he grew up
  
  I don't know if saying thank you is enough
  
  Regards,
  Vienna

  - Vienna

  Parent

• "Hi Stu,
  
  Quick note to thank you for the wonderful camp experience that my son, Bennett had the opportunity to enjoy at YLCC.
  Under your strong leadership and together with your outstanding staff, he had an exceptional time while learning essential leadership material.
  
  Thank you for the wonderfully special community you have created. We will be back!
  
  Best wishes and warm regards,
  Janice McDonald.

  - Janice McDonald

  Parent

• "To Stu, Ornj and the YLCC Staff:
  
  Our daughter, Taylor, attended YLCC for the first time this summer. We have
  to thank you for such a wonderful experience. She has attended another camp
  and YLCC was by far a richer, more inspiring experience. Her confidence and
  maturity grew in leaps and bounds in just 2 weeks! We never thought we would
  see her "campsick" but she was. She is so enthusiastic about returning next
  year and has told several of her friends how great it was. You are doing a
  remarkable job with these kids! Thank you and have a great summer,
  
  Cathy Prosser and Mark McLaughlin
  

  - Parent

  Parent of current YLCC Camper

• "Dear Stu,
  
  Maria arrived safe and sound to Madrid. She had an amazing time there and is already looking forward to coming back next year. She looks more mature and your camp and your team have a role in it.
  Thanks for taking care of her.
  
  Our warmest regards
  
  Quintanilla family

  - Quintanilla family

• ""It is hard to explain how proud I am of him with the maturity in how he has handled this, but I chalk that up to the summers he spends and the influence of YLCC. He is such an amazing kid and yes I do take credit for some of that LOL, but I know in my heart that he has come this far so young because of YLCC and you and the camp family. We talk about camp all the time and in fact we have recruited one of Colby's teammates who will join him the first week! (I told his mom) Wait until YLCC and you will see what an AMAZING effect this camp and our camp family have on these children. It is the best thing that you could do for your child TRUST ME!"

  - Leanne More

  Parent of current YLCC Camper

• "Dear Stu,
  
  When you send your child(ren) to the YLCC, you have to realize that you are receiving a different person when they come home. This camp has given our son a new outlook on life....... one that is so positive and loving. As a family, we have always instilled positive attitude, love, caring and commitment, however somehow the YLCC staffs takes that so much further! Our son is truly blessed, and so are we to have found this amazing camp. Last year was his first time away from home; we enrolled him for one week with the option of a second. He wanted to come home after the first week, but after an entire day of sleep, he was asking to go back for the second week.
  
  THANK YOU for our experience, we enrolled for this summer as soon as the applications were out, and our son is eagerly awaiting the experience!
  
  Ken and Kari Smith
  Elite Party Rentals
  705-835-6248
  http://www.elitepartyrentals.org

  - Ken and Kari Smith

  Parents

• "I have to thank you for giving our daughter such an amazing first experience at camp. She loved it, and now her younger sister can't wait to go to. This is pretty amazing considering my husband and I "encouraged" her to try it.
  
  We were so impressed with the presentation that we experienced when we came to get her. I feel like we made a fantastic decision and will be seeing more of you in the future and definitely recommending your camp to others.
  
  Thank you so much.

  - Paul and Marnie Milando

  Parents of YLCC Camper

• "I am sending this message to let you and your camp leaders know what a wonderful experience my son Jacob had there the week of July 15-21. He is still telling people about his holiday with you guys. I am so happy that he had this experience and he will be back for many years to come.
  
  I am sure you have received emails like this in the past but we did not want to let this summer go without saying thank you to all of you for such a job well done. Jacob is hoping that you can pass this message onto Jake's counselor Cory, he really enjoyed Cory's company.
  
  Again, thank you so much for giving Jake such a great time. And we will see you next year.

  - Kim Atkinson

  Parent of YLCC Camper

• "We're so very impressed with YLCC. Our daughter, Alyson has attended several camps in her 17 years, but we have to tell you none have left a mark like YLCC! The staff and other campers have made an impression that we know will last a life time.
  
  "Move you to fly" is more then just a motto for Aly, she seems to reflect on that statement whenever things aren't quite going as planned and let us tell you, knowing that a teenager has such a positive experience to draw from at times like that sure helps us parents! We were lucky to have witnessed a moment at camp a few years back, when Aly made it to the top of the vertical playground - BLINDFOLDED - it was the support of fellow campers (her belay team) and the encouragement of T-rish and other staff that helped her reach her goal - but what the exercise did was show Alyson the strength she had to face challenges head on.
  
  These are the moments that make YLCC a truly great camp and why we never say no to a stay at YLCC!

  - Krystine & Trevor Blair

  Parents of YLCC Camper

Staff Testimonials

• "I never feel that leadership camp is over until I actually make it to the end of the week! THANK YOU for everything that you did to make our rainy, snowy adventure into the best leadership camp ever. The kids are exhausted but pumped and it is a great way to move into student council elections, support our improv teams at Rebelfest next week and have the energy to finish the year.
  
  Thank you for:
  
  - campfire coaching of great songs and skits....we all want to rock the boat
  
  - hot chocolate and big breakfast on the cold, cold morning
  
  - supervising the polar bear dip in the snow
  
  - extra blankets
  
  - flexibility
  
  - watching the workshops which makes my camp committee feel that their work is worthy of copying
  
  - all the yucky food stuff that you collected for our skits
  
  - great meals and an awesome banquet meal
  
  - wonderful rap song and the talent show contributions
  
  - a great slide show!!!
  
  - your enthusiasm all weekend long
  
  - laughing at the detectives and the crazy PPHS teachers in costume
  
  - high ropes, low ropes & waterfront
  
  - lending a laptop and helping the students set up for their bouncing back workshop
  
  
  It really was the biggest, smoothest camp we have ever had. It was so much fun I can't wait to do it again next year!

  - Karen Kettle

  Port Perry High School

• "It's so hard to sum up what camp means to me, but when I think about YLCC and everything that I have learned, the people I have met, the memories I have shared, and the people that have inspired me, it makes me realize that the reason why I can sing aloud and not care how I sound, is because of camp. The reason why I have such a drive to succeed is because of camp. The reason why I appreciate the little things is because of camp. The reason why I can be who I am and be proud to be me is because of camp. It has moved me to fly within everything I do....

  - Kristy Ward

  YLCC Staff, CIT