History of Wanapitei

The name Wanapitei (pronounced wawna – puh – TAY) comes from the Anishnabai name Wanapiteiping, which means “oblong body of water, full to overflowing.”  Camp Wanapitei’s 42-acre property, located on Lake Temagami, is surrounded by beach, river and forest.

Previously an semi-agricultural settlement founded by Father Charles Paradis in 1891, Wanapitei was established as a summer camp in 1931 under the direction of Ed Archibald who, in 1956, sold the camp to Stan and Laura Belle Hodgins.  The Hodgins family, developed a unique, top quality camp which stressed canoe tripping and wilderness skills for boys and girls.  In 1971, a group of camp alumni and friends formed a cooperative company and renamed it Camp Wanapitei Co-Ed Camps Limited.  Since that time, Wanapitei, has blazed the trails for remote youth canoe tripping in Canada.

At present, Wanapitei is owned by a group of committed shareholders.  The fifteen member board of directors is composed of past campers and staff members, each with an extensive canoe tripping background.  Our current President is Geoff Hodgins, a long time Wanapitei camper and staff member (and grandson of Stan and Laura-Belle).  Our Board Chair is Seana Irvine, a former camper and staff, and current staff mom. The board strives to keep Wanapitei’s policies and procedures in line with the highest standards in the overnight camp industry and often is a leader in the field.