Announcements

Press Release

September 15, 2015

The Camp Tanamakoon Charitable Foundation and Banyan Community Services jointly announce the transfer of ownership of Camp Maple Leaf to The Camp Tanamakoon Charitable Foundation Inc. effective September 25th, 2015.

This change allows the new owner to continue the tradition of Camp Maple Leaf created originally by its founders, The Canadian Counsel of War Veterans in 1955. Camp Maple Leaf is a place where children from Canadian military families can be with each other at camp to make friends and share that most Canadian of so many children’s childhoods, a week at summer camp!! The Camp Tanamakoon Charitable Foundation has enthusiastically agreed to continue and broaden its reach to Canadian Military families and their children.

Kim Smith, Chairman of the Foundation, and the owner/director of Camp Tanamakoon in Algonquin Park, brings over 30 years experience of owning and directing Tanamakoon. Kim’s late father, Bruce, was an officer in the Canadian Corp of Signals in World War 2 and fought from France to Germany. His military service and his service to his country have played a large part in the decision to move forward and expand Camp Maple Leaf’s commitment to Canadian Military Families.

The Tanamakoon Foundation has helped fund camp programs for children with unique needs and chronic illness. Camp experiences can be life altering for any child. Unique children with chronic illnesses or conditions are no different. Camp Maple Leaf will provide a place where children facing similar challenges can be with each other and just have fun. We will be developing special camp programs for these children to meet their varied needs, and work with their sponsoring organizations to ensure these unique children get the same benefit from camp that so many other Canadian children get every summer.

The Tanamakoon Foundation is receiving advice and support from David Graham, Executive Director of Brigadoon Village (www.brigadoonvillage.org) as we move forward with our plans for Camp Maple Leaf. We thank David for his support.

The Foundation thanks Banyan Community Services, its Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors for allowing us the opportunity of continuing the legacy that has made Camp Maple Leaf so important in so many young lives. Plans are currently underway for 2016 and we will be providing regular updates about next summer on our website. It won’t be long until you can register for Camp!!

For further information, please contact Kim Smith at (905) 338-5200 and we welcome inquiries from former staff and campers.