Preparing your Son for Camp

Camp Preparation

When you begin to make decisions about camp, the best advice is to include your son in the process right from the start. At the same time as you are choosing a camp that matches your values, it is important that the activities and the program match your son’s interests. Check out the website together; look at the photos on Facebook and the videos on Youtube. Read stories about camp experiences in the archived newsletters. The more information that you share, the better informed and more confident you will both be. If it is helpful to you to speak with a family that sends their son to Nominingue, this can be arranged. In the same way, it might be helpful for your son to meet someone who has been to Camp Nominingue as a camper.

Throughout the off-season, we organize information sessions online for parents new to Nominingue. These sessions are a great way to learn about the program, to meet some of the people who will be working with your son and to ask lots of questions. We also hold Q & A sessions more specifically for your son, so that he too can have his questions answered.

Don’t shy away from speaking about homesickness with your son. It is perfectly normal for him to miss home at some point during his camp experience. He needs to be given some helpful actions that he can take when he begins to miss home, and feel empowered that he will be able to deal with the situation when it occurs. If he has little experience being away from home, give your son some practice with family or friends or school, so that camp is not the first away-from-home experience.

As camp approaches, track the last few weeks leading up to departure; get your son involved in the packing process; have him help label his belongings; pre-address and pre-stamp envelopes to make it easy for him to write to you. As well, make sure that you have given as much information as possible in the medical and confidential forms to provide the staff with the guidance it may need to provide your son with the best camp experience possible.

Studies over the last few years have demonstrated that camp does achieve what camp professionals have said for many years: camp improves self-esteem, physical, social and thinking skills; it develops a child’s independence and his sense of adventure; and it is fun! If you do prepare your son for camp, you improve the likelihood that he will have an incredible experience.

In the same way that it is important that your son be prepared for camp, it is essential that you be prepared for the separation from your child. The less stress that you feel about camp, the better it will be for your child. And whatever you do, avoid giving your son an out at the last minute by promising that you will pick him up if he is homesick. Such a promise will put you in a no-win position if he calls on you to fulfill this promise. Camp is, and should be, a learning experience for both of you.

Parent Information Sessions

Our online parent information sessions are open to new families, whether your son is already registered or you are still considering registering him for camp.

Schedule

The purpose of this session is to present our leadership team, our program and our daily schedule to parents new to Nominingue. Each session lasts about one hour. Although your son is welcome to participate, the sessions are directed toward parents. You will have the chance to ask all your questions during and after the presentation.

To participate in an info session, please get in touch with us at info@nominingue.com to receive a link.

Clothing & Equipment List

You can download our equipment list as PDF.

Travelling to Camp

Camp Nominingue offers several options when arranging transportation for your child this summer. The following will assist you in choosing the option that best fits your needs. After April 15th, you will be asked to complete the follow-up form online, where you will be asked to confirm your travel choices to and from Camp.

It is important that you notify the Camp office immediately, in writing, of any changes to the initial travel arrangements. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office at any time if you have any questions related to travel arrangements.

Bus Service

Campers travel to and from Camp in air-conditioned coaches and occasionally in our air-conditioned Camp vehicles. The following information will outline the travel procedures used to ensure your child arrives safe and sound at camp. The cost of bus transportation is $100 both ways or $50 one way.

Loading and Unloading Sites

Montreal – Plaza Pointe Claire

Located in Pointe Claire, at the intersection of Donegani Ave. and Boulevard St-Jean. Buses will load and unload in the south-western corner of the shopping centre.

Ste-Agathe

The parking lot at the north end of Ecole-Fleur-des-Neiges, corner of Avenues St-Paul and Ste-Agathe. Boys in the Laurentian area should meet here and bring their baggage with them to be loaded onto the bus.

Ottawa – St. Laurent Shopping Centre

We use the Additional Parking Lot, just west of the Sears multi-level parking at the west end of the St. Laurent Centre, off of Coventry Rd.

Depart Montreal and Ottawa Sites and Time – 2024

Arrival in Montreal and Ottawa Sites and Times – 2024

Travelling by Car

For many campers, the adventure begins on the charter bus from either Montreal or Ottawa. However, some parents find it more desirable or convenient to drive their son(s) to Camp. When driving your son(s) to Camp, it is best to arrive between 10:00 a.m. and noon, but please note that we ask that you leave camp by noon. When you arrive, you will be met at the bottom of the paved hill by a staff member who will take you to your son’s tent. Please be sure to stop by the office before departing. If, by any chance, there is no one to meet you, please go directly to the office. On this day, it is possible that you may not meet your son’s counsellor. He may be in Montreal with the buses or involved in another camp program. Visitors’ Day arrivals and departures are exceptions. Please refer to visitors’ day information.

On departure days, your son(s) will be ready to leave before lunch between 9:30 am to 12:00 noon or after lunch at 1 p.m.

Please deduct transportation charges from your statement – $50.00 one way or $100.00 return if you choose to travel by car.

Air Travel

In recent years, an increasing number of families have chosen Nominingue as a summer destination for their sons, to give them the opportunity to experience our traditional, yet unique summer camp program. Some boys require pick-up from the airport in Montreal (Montreal-Trudeau Airport). The camp provides service, with our own driver and vehicle, for such arrivals and departures. In order that we may plan accordingly, please let us know the flight details at least fours weeks in advance.
Flights arrive at the Montreal-Trudeau Airport (Dorval), which is not far from where our chartered buses depart. If possible, it is preferable for a family friend to bring your son(s) from the airport to the bus departure site. If not, please try to have your son’s flight arrive by 8:00 a.m. This gives us time to transfer him to our chartered bus departing at 9:30 a.m. Please ensure that you arrange to have your child travel as an unaccompanied minor. Uniformed Camp staff will greet your child at the airport. While at camp, your child’s airline tickets, passports and cell phones are stored in the Camp office for safe keeping.

The charge for these services is $175.00 (return trip).
Arranging flights is not easy. We do our best to ensure that the airport wait for your son is kept to a minimum. However, with heightened security, airline demands, summer construction and traffic, travel day for both arrival and departure for your son is a long day, and don’t forget the additional two hour drive up to camp! When you book your flights to and from Montreal-Trudeau Airport, please aim to schedule the arrival and the departure between 10 am and 7 pm.

If you are unable to arrange flights within these time-frames, a surcharge of $50 may be added and in extreme cases, we might have to arrange an overnight stay in an airport hotel. The cost in such a case is usually $50-$100 per boy, depending on the number of campers travelling that that hour.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the camp office at info@nominingue.com or by phone at (819) 278 3383.