FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT OVERNIGHT CAMP

WHAT ARE THE CABINS LIKE? HOW MANY CHILDREN CAN BE IN A CABIN GROUP? CAN WE REQUEST CABIN MATES?

Camp Couchiching's cabins have electricity, hot and cold running water, toilets and bunk beds. A nice shower house is nearby.

Our cabins host 2-3 staff members plus 8-14 campers in every cabin.

Campers can request each other and we will guarantee one mutual request from each camper if within 1 calendar year of birth of each other & they're staying at Camp for a similar length of time.

Cabins are structured around campers' gender identity first then age.

Images of our cabins, shower houses and the facility can be found here.

HOW DO WE APPLY?

The Online Applications are accessible by clicking the Apply Now buttons throughout this website. You are taken to our database, CampBrain, for on-line applications, forms, policies and procedures, medical forms, permission forms, waivers and payments.

All of your completed applications will be available on our site for the remainder of the application period. You may return at any time to view and print your application. Login here: https://couchiching.campbrainregistration.com with the username and password you selected. If you have forgotten your password, click the Password reset button under the login button.

Apply Now

DO YOU HAVE ANY DISCOUNTS OR INCENTIVES? WHAT IS YOUR PAY IN FULL DATE?

Camp Couchiching's Overnight Camp has a few kinds of incentives:

The earlier you book and pay, the less you pay. The opening rates will always be the best rate of the year. Camp fees can go up as we get closer to our start dates. We will notify the public via social media on Instagram at least two weeks before rates go up. If you are a returning family, we will also email you to notify you of this change with two weeks notice.
NEW! Super Keener Bonus- Apply on or before November 24, 2026 and we will send along a long sleeve T to your house. Pick up in the GTA will be available in mid-December if you wish to consider this for gift giving.
Keener Bonus- Apply on or before February 24 and receive Camp Swag when at Camp.
Newbie Bonus- If a camper or LDP is new to overnight camp and they apply on or before May 13 they will receive a Cooch Games house shirt on the first day of our Camp Olympics/Cooch Games. An alternative piece of merchandise will be provided if attending Sessions One A or Three A.
Sibling Discount- $50 is removed from every camper or LDP after the first child, if the family applies on or before May 13

For our Overnight Camp, the pay in full date is also when there are no further financial refunds for withdrawals. The pay in full date is May 13.

HOW ARE CAMPERS GROUPED? WHAT ARE THE AGE GROUPS? DO THEY STAY ON SITE THE WHOLE TIME?

Campers are grouped by the age they turn in 2027 and the grade they were registered for in January to June 2027. We then consider their cabinmate requests and the length of session they're signed up for.

Trips away from our site are listed below for Campers and LDP attending sessions of two weeks or longer.

NEW! Jinters are Campers turning ages 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 in 2027: Provincial park beach excursion, one night in tents at Camp
Seniors Campers are turning ages 13,14,15 in 2027. They have a later bedtime, an Orillia day excursion*, plus a 2-night/3-day canoe trip away from the main property of the Camp
NEW! Adventure Campers, turning 13, 14, 15 or 16 in 2027, are part of a special 3-week camp program which includes a 5-night canoe trip, sailing or windsurfing most days, plus the opportunity to participate in Orillia day excursion AND Cooch Games (Camp Olympics).
LDP1 (turning age 15 in 2027) and LDP2 (turning age 16 in 2027): Multi-night canoe trip and LDP2 does some of their swimming course at an indoor pool in Orillia.

*Please note that there is a $32/person + tax excursion fee/2-week session for the Senior Day Trip/Excursion. This fee is $50/person + tax for July 1-month campers.

CAN CHILDREN USE THEIR CELLPHONES TO CALL HOME WHILE THEY’RE AT CAMP?

We don't allow any electronic devices or phones for our campers during their time at Camp, regardless of their stay.

Camp Couchiching strives to give campers a good disconnect from their cyber world. This includes old phones with sim cards removed or apple watches for music.

Campers/LDPs can write letters to their parents and parents/family members can send emails to their campers/LDPs. The emails are printed each day and handed out as mail every weekday.

We do allow our Leadership Development Participants to bring a cell phone. The phone is handed in at our office and access is provided for 1 hour every 5-6 days in the evening.

DOES YOUR CAMP HOST PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

Camp Couchiching proudly hosts many children from other countries. International campers are welcome to join us for the One-Month Session in July. We will provide airport transfers on the first day of that session and on the final day of that session at a cost of $120/person + tax, each way.

Please note that we will only provide pick up and drop off services on those dates and between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. If your family books transportation on other days or times then you will have to arrange your own transportation to/from Camp/Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

Camp Couchiching also hires staff members from many different countries as well!

HOW ARE YOUTH WITH SPECIALIZED NEEDS INTEGRATED INTO CAMP? IS THERE A FEE?

Camp Couchiching integrates children and youth with specialized needs into our traditional Camp programming. We work with each family to customize the experience.

Our Overnight Camp has some integrated spaces available for campers with specialized needs in our Pathways program for youth turning 10-15 too! The fee for this additional support is $500 +tax for 2-weeks and $275+tax for shorter stays. These fees are in addition to the Overnight Camp fee.

If you have a young adult, aged 16+, who requires support and they're looking at developing their work skills, we have a work placement program. The fee for the work placement support program is $1,300 +tax for 2-weeks and $700+tax for shorter stays. Please contact Maria, at campdirector@campcouchiching.com to see if this program is appropriate for you.

WHAT ACTIVITIES WILL MY CAMPER DO?

Activities can include:

Projectiles- Archery, Axe Throwing, Rock Throwing
Adventure- Low Ropes, High Ropes, Climbing Wall
Turf- Sports, Sport Tournaments, Non-Traditional Sports
Swim & Surf- Water based games at swim area
Paddle- Canoe, Kayak and Stand Up Paddleboarding
Wind- Sailing & Windsurfing
Arts- Arts & Crafts, Fine Arts, Pottery, Drama
Media- Photography, Film

Our 3B-"Game On" campers will participate in more camp wide programs and the Cooch Games/Camp Olympics than our other one week programs.

During our 1 week Short Stay session, cabin groups rotate through various activities including many of the ones above.

Some days have special programming like our Excursion Days or a Resort Day!

Every night, we play games and do fun activities including campwide games and/or campfires ("Campfires? We love Campfires!")

WILL MY CAMPER/LDP LEAVE THE CAMP PROPERTY AT ALL DURING THEIR TIME AT CAMP?

As listed above, our 2-week, 3-week and 1-month Jinter and Senior campers leave Camp for various trips and excursions.

Our LDP participants will leave site to go on canoe trips and for some local pool swimming to meet the requirements of their swimming qualifications.

IS THERE TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM CAMP?

The trip to Camp is a good time to meet some staff members, and get to meet others- we encourage it for everyone. The bus transportation option can be chosen at the time of registration or at a later time.

NEW! Bus options are available for the following dates in 2027:

July 4, July 16, July 18, July 30
Aug 1 & Aug 13

There are no bus options on July 9, Aug 6 & Aug 20

Our bus stop in 2026 was at Armour Heights Public School in north Toronto.

WHAT DO ONE-MONTH CAMPERS AND LEADERSHIP PARTICIPANTS DO IN BETWEEN THE 2 WEEK SESSIONS?

Campers and LDP who join us for the full month of July have some specialized programming we call Changeover!

Most LDP will be away from Camp on a canoe trip if they come for the month of July.

Campers staying for the month of July will go on excursions for fun adventures in the local community and they go to a movie at the theatre as well! We create a giant slumber party atmosphere for the weekend!

Campers who sign up for any other back-to-back sessions, do not have the special changeover programming provided and would have to leave Camp in between the end of their first two-week session and the start of their second two-week session.

WHAT IS THE FOOD LIKE? MY CAMPER REQUIRES SPECIALIZED DIETARY SUPPORT.

We get good feedback on food! We work towards accommodating most dietary preferences, restrictions, allergies and tastes. You let us know about any restrictions or allergies on the camp forms ahead of time. If it is more complex, we may contact you the week before Camp to talk through ways that your family accommodates your camper.

Here is a sample day's menu:

Breakfast

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Sandwich, Cereal, Milk/Oat Milk, Fruit, Fruit Juice

Lunch

Burrito Bowls/Taco Salad, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Salad Bar, Water, Juice, Brownies

Supper

Butter Chicken, Rice, Naan, Cooked Corn, Garden Salad, Water, Juice, Watermelon

Snack

Packaged Cookies

Please view our Facility & Food Photo Gallery here.

WHAT ARE THE COOCH GAMES?

As part of the 2-week, 1 month, 3-week, Session 3B & the Short Stay overnight Camper & LDP experience, we offer a camp-wide Olympics type program for a few days at the end of Camp.

Activities range from traditional sport, to lip sync battles, to Jenga and other creative programs. Campers and LDP who apply on or before May 13, 2027, and are new to Camp & registered in a session which does these Olympic programs, receive a Newbie bonus of a Classic Cooch Games T-shirt. We pass this along at Camp at the end of the session when these Games begin.

Family members are placed on the same teams which also have a colour.

Birch is yellow

Cedar is red

Pine is green

Spruce is blue

If your camper is attending a session without a Camp Olympics in it, we will provide some Camp merch instead of these shirts.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO PREPARE AND PACK FOR ANY OVERNIGHT PROGRAMS?

Every year we provide a list of "What to Pack" along with a list of "What Not to Pack". This is provided in our Family Information Package which is posted here, on this website, in June of each year and is also emailed to all families registered at that time.

Please click here to review our 2026 Family Information Package. The 2027 Family Information Package will be available here in mid-June.

MY CAMPER REQUIRES SPECIALIZED MEDICAL SUPPORT. CAN THIS BE ACCOMMODATED?

Our Camp does have staff members in the Health Centre to support medication dispensing and things that exceed first aid. We do have some medical situations that are more easily managed within our Camp and our structure than other things for example asthma is more easily managed at Camp than type 1 diabetes. However we do have campers from all different backgrounds so we would work with your family specifically to customize a plan for your camper's success at Camp.

WHAT ARE THE SPECIFICS FOR THE LDP ONE PROGRAM?

Youth Turning 15- Leadership Development Program Level 1 (LDP1 or L1)- One Month

The Leadership 1 program focuses on challenging participants in all aspects of outdoor adventure. The month revolves around candidates working toward their certificate levels in swimming (Bronze Cross/Medallion) sailing/board sailing (White Sail/Bronze Levels), lakewater canoeing (ORCKA), Intermediate First Aid and CPR C (taught through the Red Cross).

A big draw to the one-month program is a longer hiking/canoeing excursion which is away from Camp for 5-6 nights.

This program may be eligible for the PAD3O, Healthy Living and Outdoor Activities, Ontario secondary school credit depending on the number of participants registered for this program. LDP1, 1 month, also qualifies for 100 volunteer hours for participating Ontario school boards. These hours come from unpaid contributions to Camp which the L1s provide to Camp. This program could lead candidates to be qualified for the LDP2 program in 2027.

WHAT ARE THE SPECIFICS FOR THE LDP TWO PROGRAM?

Youth Turning 16-Leadership Development Program Level 2 (LDP2 or L2)- One Month

The Leadership 2 program promotes the ideals of leadership in life, challenging candidates to have a positive impact within both the camp and community. Throughout the month, candidates work together within the L2 group as well as divided throughout the camp and community. Leadership sessions are prepared and presented by the Leadership department, and senior camp staff. A big draw to the one-month program is a hiking/canoeing excursion which is away from Camp for 3-4 nights. The program also includes a short term live-out cabin placement, obtaining their National Lifeguard (NL), interest session placements (becoming a program instructor), and various programming challenges and problem solving skills to identify and overcome. This program may be eligible for the PLF4M, Recreation & Healthy Active Living Leadership, Ontario secondary school credit depending on the number of participants registered for the program. LDP2, 1 month, also qualifies for 100 volunteer hours for participating Ontario school boards. These hours come from unpaid contributions to Camp which the L2s provide to Camp.

HOW TO APPLY TO THE LDP PROGRAM

Your family will log in following our traditional procedures to apply, use any "Apply Now" box on this website, however our Leadership Programs have some extra steps:

Step One- Done by Parent/Guardian- When entering the on-line application, parent/guardians will use their email as the account log in. Within this application, you will request the programs and choose additional items such as bus, etc. Then you will head into the forms part of the application. Within that area, there is a basic Camper form for both programs that needs to be completed by the parent/guardians. The final part, within the database, CampBrain, is the payment screen. Payment of a deposit (minimum) must accompany the on-line application. Once these steps have been taken, a confirmation of your on-line application will be received via parent's email, in that email, there is a link to the Google Form that the applicant themselves should complete.
Step Two- The Participant's Application. Parents/guardians will receive a confirmation email, when they've finished Step One, which has a link to the google form for the 2027 LDP program. As a parent/guardian, don't fill in this form for your child.
Step Three- Camp Review. What the parent/guardian does in the on-line application will be reviewed along with what the applicant submits. If one part is missing then the application is considered incomplete.

When the Leadership Programs are open, these programs are not first-come/first-served and are openly accepted for everyone until the first round of applications are completed. The first round is those applications received by January 15, 2027 at 11:30 p.m. ET and review with offers will go out by the end of January. After the deadline, all applications are reviewed by the camp management team, and spaces are allotted accordingly. Placement is allotted based on camper interest, history at camp, and outside experience by the individual. Everyone is welcome to apply, as no factors outweigh others and all applications will be reviewed. After the deadline passes, placement will occur on a first come-first served based on suitability for the programs and IF space is available.