The Gang’s All Here

This is the most emotional day of the year – hands down – every single year.  This morning we welcomed a Voyageur I trip and three Voyageur II trips under the bridge.  So many hopes and dreams assembled together – on the bridge and paddling under the bridge.  After one of the trips had returned, I overheard a camper parent say to a visitor (who is from Venezuela) “Not all Canadians are like this”.  I turned around and said “No, but we should all be like this.”  To my surprise, our new foreign friend had tears in his eyes.  He said, “It should be like this all over the world.  I see people who don’t have a camper returning on this trip crying and cheering.”

And that about sums it up.  Camp Wanapitei celebrates all achievement.  For the Juniors this summer who paddled under the bridge after two nights on trip we screamed and clapped so hard that our hands hurt.  And for every trip between them and the Voyageur II’s we celebrated them from the bridge and cheered them in.

It doesn’t get better than this.

JJ