A Tour of camp ozanam
An aerial view of Camp Ozanam on the shores of Deer Lake, just outside South River ON
Camp is more than just a place; it's a feeling, a set of traditions, and a spirit that continues to live on through the people who come back year after year. For Columbus Boys' Camp and Camp Ozanam, that spirit has called three distinct properties "home" throughout our rich history.
The Search for a Permanent Home
After the Knights sold their camp, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul committed to providing a camping opportunity to boys who were missing out on this experience. I was a C.I.T. in 2013, at that time we were renting the Woodland Trails property in Aurora from the Scouts. I have so many fond memories there, but we always knew it was a temporary arrangement. The end of each summer brought the massive, heartbreaking task of packing up the entire camp to return it to the Scouts. Yet even as renters, the power of Boys Camp and its traditions held strong.
Before that, I grew up hearing stories and seeing photos of the original C.B.C. property in Orillia. It looked like a CAMP. It was built over generations with love and intention, with facilities thoughtfully designed to fit the program's needs. That Orillia property was Columbus Boys' Camp, and serves as an inspiration for us today.
When the Society purchased the property in South River, ON in 2016, it wasn't simply a move, it was a mission. We finally had a permanent home again to reset our roots and define our camp. A chance to build a legacy, and a true sense of belonging. In this post, I'd like to give you a tour of the home we’ve worked so hard to grow and solidify.
A map of the property. Our tour begins at the bottom middle of the map.
Welcome to Deer Lake
Eagle Lake Road
Camp Ozanam lives on the sleepy shore of Deer Lake about 15 minutes away from South River, along a beautiful winding country road (take me home!). Up highway 11, it’s about a 3-hour drive from our camper pickup in Toronto.
Pictured: The staff of 2025 run along the road during the pre-camp 5k
Counsellor Cabin
As you enter the property, you’ll pass our Counsellor Cabin on the right - a former manager’s bungalow, now alive with the sounds of spirited foosball, ping pong, and bumper pool games. Old photos of past staff generations adorn the walls and on any given night, you’ll encounter the smell of body odor and the thwack of foosballs hammering into goal posts.
Rec Hall
Heading down the gravel road, on the left is our soccer field and straight ahead is our Rec Hall, where you will find walls chronologically covered with the history of Best Cabin plaques dating back to the 50’s. The Rec Hall is home to rainy day improv games, mountain bike storage, as well as a sport shed for field campers choice after dinner. There’s a carpeted stage at one end with a pull down projector screen, and a large concrete-floored room for various activities.
Woodcraft
Continuing to the right, past the Rec Hall, the road winds around to the garage where we run Woodcraft. Here you’ll find birdhouses and racecars with sawed stick wheels, along with other crafts created by campers hanging from the walls.
Basketball & Archery
Branching off down another road behind Woodcraft, the forest opens up into a clearing with an asphalt basketball court and an open field for Archery. The court comes to life during 3rd activity (T.C. time off) when Senior Staff meet T.C.’s to share in some lively 3-on-3 competition.
Fire Pit
Back up the trail and past Woodcraft, we continue up the road where we arrive at the heart of camp. On the right is our fire bowl, lined with rows of plank and stump benches. Where we meet on night 1 and night 6 to sing our songs beneath the open sky.
Sky Section Cabins
On the left you’ll find the Sky Section’s (formally the Papooses) motel-style cabins. Each Sky cabin has its own bathroom with a shower and behind the motel are the washrooms that our Water Section (formerly the Braves) uses.
Anatari
Straight ahead, facing our Sky Section cabins, is the Anatari (our dining hall) and bell tower. Here, the camp congregates before each meal at the podium in front of the main entrance for announcements, grace, and cheers. Above the dining hall is where senior staff calls home.
Homestead
To the right of the Anatari is the Homestead - which hosts guests, the Directors office, plus a workspace and lounge for senior staff.
Kiva
Past the Homestead, we come to our Kiva, where we gather outside for our weekly liturgies and inside for reflection and activities. Staff plaques and photo collages cover the walls of the Kiva, telling the rich history of Boys’ Camp through the generations.
Pictured: Hobo visits camp in 2018 and leads a liturgy in front of the Kiva
C.I.T. Cabin
Behind the Kiva, next to the fire bowl is the C.I.T. Cabin. A large room with rows of bunks, where the painted hand prints of past C.I.T.s fill the ceiling, and generations of C.I.T. plaques are hung around the walls. Behind the C.I.T. Cabin is a creek that is fed from the Lake - many canoes have attempted to explore this creek and just as many have been rescued from it.
Volleyball Court & Handicraft
Moving back up to the Anatari and walking around to the other side, the back porch looks out over our beautiful waterfront. Here, counsellors on their meals off eat together while enjoying the best view on camp property. A beach volleyball court stretches out in front of the fence that encloses our beach, while to the left stands our beach house, also home to Handicraft. Its front porch is covered in painted signatures with ledges displaying pet rocks and popsicle stick catapults, along with other camper-made projects.
Waterfront
The highlight of our property is the waterfront. Its shore is sandy, and the water is shallow, getting as deep as an adult's shoulders in the deep end. A dock for lifeguards juts out on the left hand side and tethered to the dock is another favourite feature of camp - the barge. The barge has seen it all; countless staff sessions, cabin nights, and Evening Entertainment skits have floated the barge into the lake to jump off of, professionally wrestle on, and host reflections with counsellors.
Canoeing
To the left of the beach stands the home for our canoeing activity. Racks of canoes line the rocky shore, and the tin-roofed boathouse stores paddles, life jackets, old surfboards, and doubles as a quiet retreat for counsellors on their time off, offering a calm space with a stunning view of the lake.
Water Section & Nurse’s Cabin
Walking up the road from the boathouse brings you back to the centre of camp, with the Anatari on your left, and straight ahead, the Nurses’ Cabin and Water Section cabins. The Water Section lives in one large building split into four rooms, hosting the campers of each cabin.
Camper’s Row
Wandering past the Water Section you arrive back at the soccer field where you reach a fork in the trail. Left, brings you back up to the Counsellor’s Cabin, where we began our tour, and right guides you around the other side of the soccer field to “Camper’s Row”. A row of cabins tucked away behind a grove of trees. This is where our “big dawgs”, the Land Section (formally the Warriors) reside. Along Camper’s Row, many cabins now stand abandoned, some of which have been demolished in recent years to make way for brand new structures that now house our four Land Section cabins. A few “secret” paths, blazed by curious campers, branch out from Camper’s Row serving as shortcuts to the canoeing area and the Anatari.
From the cherished stories of Orillia to the spirit of Woodland Trails, the soul of Boys’ Camp has always endured. Now, on the shores of Deer Lake, our roots are taking hold again. Every new cabin, every repaired screen, and every new Best Cabin plaque adds another layer to this history we are building together. This beautiful property that we are so blessed to call home is Camp Ozanam.