• Maison-de-Pierre, 1957 Part I Andy Webster
• Enrolment  2015 - Inscriptions 2015
• Canadian Camp Research Award of Excellence
• CN Clothing for Christmas! - Vêtements CN pour Noël!
• In My Dreams & Cracked Hands Caleb Davis
• The Campfire Stories Thomas Jean-Brown
• Alumni Association News / Nouvelles de l'association des anciens
• Tumpline Submissions - Soumissions pour cette lettre de nouvelles

Maison-de-Pierre, 1957 Part I Andy Webster

John Blachford drove up to Camp Nominingue on a Friday and by noon, the next day, we had decided to embark on a more ambitious canoe trip than either of us had ever been on. This decision on my part meant that I must quit my counselling job, but the money I would have to forfeit was inconsequential when I compared it to the overall experience of the trip we were to take. The following is an account of the 14 days we spent out in the bush.

Monday, August 5

Two o'clock Monday afternoon, after most of our preparations had been completed, we drove out of the Camp towards the village of Nominingue where we picked up a few last-minute items, and then drove northward to Lac Maison-de-Pierre, our starting point for the trip. We reached the lake at about 5 or 6 o'clock and then paddled down to the south end of the lake where we set up camp with a regular Nominingue canoe tripping party led by Peter Gilbert and John Foote.

Our first supper was pretty miserable. It was miserable because the cheese we added to the vermicelli was the wrong kind of cheese for melting and it stuck to our moths and teeth like glue!

Tuesday August 6

The next day, I crawled out my sleeping bag at 7:05 to see the sun large and round on the horizon, beginning its arc over the cloudless, now dark blue sky, and the wind kicking up small waves on the lake. The Camp party had not yet awakened, and John and I collected some dry wood and started a fire before they got up. Our breakfast was only a little more palatable than the previous supper, as the porridge burnt, but the back-bacon was very good and along with the hot cocoa, we were sustained until lunch.

We began the day's paddling a few minutes before Gilbert's party and travelled ahead of them into Medora Bay. They became distracted by a moose so we paddled far ahead of them against a tough west wind, which nearly brought our canoe to a stand-still. John and I were both strong paddlers, however, and we pushed on through Doughnut Lake. It is such a good replica of a doughnut, in fact, that some people have paddled around the hole in a complete circle before realizing they have passed the outlet. We didn't make that mistake, but paddled down a river, lifted the canoe over a four-foot fall of water, continued on down the windy river...we had lunch at the other end of a portage which skirted a dam. Here we studied an interesting whirlpool and John, being a scientist, explained why it rotated counter-clockwise. I didn't understand the explanation, but had fun testing its counter-clockwise motion by spitting in the water and watching this amazing phenomena of nature draw spit slowly down into the foreboding depths below.

Gilbert's campers caught up to us as we were pushing off from the bank after lunch. Lunch had consisted of a pannikin of soup, tinned pork and tea. It was not an interesting lunch, but we ate it for fourteen days and enjoyed it after the morning's travel. The stream and small lakes unfolded before us... Our destination was the next lake in the chain, Rupert, and we got there by paddling up the same connecting stream. On Rupert, I sighted a cabin on an island in the middle of the lake and this is where we set up our camp for the night.

The cabin was not occupied, but we could tell, through John's scientific observations, that the cabin had been recently occupied, but not in the last two or three nights. Gilbert and Foote were close behind and after searching the lake for a good campsite, decided that there were no good camp sites and joined us on the island. John and I cooked our alternate meal, rice and raisins, while Gilbert, who is a very good cook, cooked some delicious buns, four of which he kindly divided between John and I. It was early when we reached the cabin, 4:30 pm, so we made a thorough investigation of the cabin, taking great pains not to disturb anything. There was a radio which we turned on at 5 pm to listen to the news, a rifle and a shotgun, but no shells. The place, we decided, was very well-equipped and we guessed that it was a fishing camp.

That night, the campers slept outside in their tent while Gilbert, Foote, John and I slept on the comfortable beds in the cabin. That night before retiring, we turned on the radio for a few minutes, not wanting to strain the battery which supplied the radio its power, and listened to the peaceful, contemplative music of Bach and Handel.

Enrolment  2015 - Inscriptions 2015

Enrolment for boys' camp and family camp opened on November 1st. A number of families have already completed the enrolment for their son or the whole family. One major change this year is that we are using a Beanstream portal which processes credit card payments immediately, avoiding having to manually enter the card. At the same time, we do not store the credit card numbers of our clients. To take advantage of the special rates for early enrolment for boys' camp, you must register your son before the 16th of December, 2014.

Depuis le 1er décembre, nous acceptons des inscriptions pour le camp de garçons et le camp familial. Plusieurs familles ont déjà complété le processus. Cette année, nous utilisons un portail sécurisé Beanstream pour compléter les paiements par carte de crédit. Les avantages sont : le paiement est immédiat; nous évitons l'obligation de compléter chaque paiement manuellement et nous ne gardons pas les numéros de carte de crédit dans nos dossiers. Pour bénéficier du rabais pour inscriptions hâtives, les inscriptions au camp de garçons doivent être complétées avant le 16 décembre, 2014.

Canadian Camp Research Award of Excellence

The Canadian Camping Association has inaugurated the new Canadian Camp Research Award of Excellence. 

Peter Gilbert, a long-time Camp Nominingue camper, counsellor and trip director, is chairing the committee.

If any Nominingue staff, recent camper or staff alumnus is doing graduate studies or has recently completed a thesis/dissertation in a field that could be eligible, Peter invites you to apply. The interpretation of "relevant" is very broad. The deadline for submissions is December 12th.

Click for details: English or French.

CN Clothing for Christmas! - Vêtements CN pour Noël!

Over the years, a number of people have asked us before the holidays if we had any Camp clothing available. The answer has always been no. This year, working with our supplier, we decided to make a few clothing items available. To order, please go to the "CN Clothing" page on our website and click on the link. Orders must be placed by December 1st.

Au fil des années, nous avons souvent reçu des demandes au sujet de la disponibilité de vêtements du Camp avant les fêtes. Cette année, nous avons décidé d'offrir un choix limité de vêtements. Pour commander, allez à la page « Vêtements CN » sur notre site internet et cliquez sur le lien. Vous devez commander avant le 1er décembre.

In My Dreams & Cracked Hands Caleb Davis

As a 13 year-old, first-time camper in 1972, I remember Caleb Davis as the counsellor all my peers wanted as their canoe trip leader! He had the reputation of running on portages with the canoe on his back...Caleb arrived at Nominingue as an 8 year-old camper in 1960 and finished his career as a counsellor in 1975. He always had energy to spare, one summer taking on the project of re-painting and restoring the totem pole which stands beside the Trip lodge.

Caleb re-connected with Nominingue in 2002, when his son attended camp. In 2014, Caleb contacted Camp to express his interest in making a yearly donation of one of the paddles he makes at Tremolo Paddles, one focus of his life since his retirement. A Tremolo paddle was given to the winner of the Shannon Memorial Award this past summer.

Caleb sent a couple of poems that reflect his love of canoe tripping and his philosophy of life, influenced by his childhood and adult experiences at Camp Nominingue.

In My Dreams

Water is my home, the forest my delight.

I love the laughter of the distant rapids

and the songs of approaching voyageurs.

The lakes in early spring struggle to be released.

With time, the water will live once more.

With the coming of the sun, other loons arrive

and share in hunting and family life.

As the sun passes overhead, the heat of the day is the time,

the time to cruise the shoreline and explore.

As evening approaches, the drone of mosquitoes fills the air

and the setting sun adds a breathless gift.

Soon I will sing to the moon and all who will listen.

Cracked Hands

Then with cracked hands that ache

I kindled the fire in my home

where I retreat to find peace

from a world where I both love the adventure, yet,

I am apprehensive of the human created complexity.

It is here that my own fires are rekindled

and I can see clearly once more.

With time and patience I will be whole again

and can go forth into that other world

and attempt to do my best.

The Campfire Stories Thomas Jean-Brown

Thomas Jean-Brown, a camper at Nominingue for the last six summers, loves cartooning. He has agreed to create regular camp-related cartoons for the Tumpline. He has also created a website to share his work.

Thomas Jean-Brown, un campeur à Nominingue depuis six ans, adore dessiné et créé des bandes-dessinées. Il a accepté le défi de créer des bandes-dessinées avec un thème « Nominingue » pour le Tumpline. D'autres de ses oeuvres sont disponibles sur son site internet. 

Alumni Association News / Nouvelles de l'association des anciens

This fall, Olivier Blanchette, an 8-year camper (2000-2007), donated a bike and a number of books for the Camp Nominingue library. Donations of books are always appreciated!

Please share with us news that you would like to include in the Tumpline that you think might be of interest to other Nominingue alumni.

SVP envoyez nous des nouvelles que vous aimeriez inclure dans une prochaine édition du Tumpline.

Alumni Socials

Each spring and fall, we try to hold at least one Alumni Social in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. 

Alumni socials were held in both Ottawa and Montreal during the first week of November. It is always great to renew with recent and less recent alumni. The next opportunity to re-connect will likely be in the spring.

Dates and locations of future get-togethers will be posted on Facebook on the Nominingue Socials Group page at http://www.facebook.com/groups/NominingueSocials/.

To get involved with CN Alumni Association, please contact John Christou at john@prospectorfilms.ca. 

Tumpline Submissions - Soumissions pour cette lettre de nouvelles

We are looking for submissions for our newsletters from campers, staff and parents... from this summer, as well as from recent and less recent alumni. These submissions may be general memories of camp experiences or specific memories about a canoe trip, about a favourite program or a funny experience. Please send your submissions to grant@nominingue.com.  You may submit your stories and memories in English, French or Spanish.

Nous sommes à la recherche de textes de campeurs, parents et de moniteurs de l'été 2014... et de souvenirs de nos anciens campeurs et moniteurs des années récentes et moins récentes. Vos textes peuvent décrire vos expériences en générale ou une excursion de canot, un programme favori ou une expérience drôle. SVP envoyez votre texte par courriel à grant@nominingue.com. Votre texte peut être écrit en français, en anglais ou en espagnol. 

Camp Nominingue | Tel. 450-267-2555 | Toll-free 866-910-1551 (Canada & US)
Email: info@nominingue.com | Web: www.nominingue.com

This e-mail is destined to all campers, parents and counsellors, current and alumni. If you would prefer not to receive occasional messages from us, please unsubscribe using the link below this message.

Ce courriel est destiné à tous les campeurs, parents et moniteurs, actuels et anciens. Si vous voulez vous désinscrire de cette liste d'envoi, svp cliquez en bas de la page.

Winter address: 112, rue Lippée, Les Coteaux, QC J7X 1J4
Summer address: 1889, chemin des Mésanges, Nominingue, QC J0W 1R0