Haliburton Scout Reserve
Encyclopedia
Haliburton Scout Reserve (HSR) is a 20 square kilometre (5000 acre
) Scout
camp located east of Haliburton, Ontario and just south of Algonquin Park. The camp opened in 1947 and is operated by Scouts Canada
, Greater Toronto Council. HSR is located in a part of the Canadian Shield
with 13 lakes and a multitude of birds, fish, and animals. Centred around Kennabi Lake are 22 campsites accessible by water. HSR is Canada's largest Scout camp and third largest in North America. Scout troops normally come to the camp for week-long summer camps. HSR staff provide numerous programs for troops.
, Toronto Scout District (now Greater Toronto Council) wanted a rugged site for Scout camping. Their camping committee eventually located a 4150 acre (16.8 km²) site owned by the Mill Valley Lumber Company, which was completing cutting in that area. The property was purchased in the fall of 1946 and opened the following summer as Camp Kennabi. Many of the original lumber camp buildings are still in use. The first Camp Chief was Field Commissioner
James C. Moore, after whom Moore Lake and the J. C. Trail are now named.
Starting in 1953, a composite camp (consisting of scouts from various troops attending as individuals with leadership provided by the camp staff) called Camp Kennaway, was run on the site. Camp Kennaway and Camp Kennabi merged in 1960 to form Haliburton Scout Reserve. Over the years, various plots of land were added to the original purchase. Since 1947, thousands of Scouts from Canada
, the United States
, the United Kingdom
, and many other countries have visited the camp.
. Troops gather at the Hub to compete in a variety of water-based activities. The events normally include:
. There are many day trips available including visiting the logging museum in Algonquin Provincial Park
, seeing undomesticated wolves at the Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Reserve
, watching logs being processed at the Wilberforce Lumber and Veneer Company (see Wilberforce, Ontario), and visiting the abandoned Richardson Mine.
Around Kennabi Lake and on its many islands are 22 troop campsites. Each of these includes a dock, swimming area, picnic tables, ground cooler for food, internal telephone, outdoor kybos, rowboats, campfire circle, and several patrol sites. There are also nine family/guest campsites with road access, drinking water, picnic tables, and fire pits. Some are suitable for trailers.
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
) Scout
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
camp located east of Haliburton, Ontario and just south of Algonquin Park. The camp opened in 1947 and is operated by Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
, Greater Toronto Council. HSR is located in a part of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
with 13 lakes and a multitude of birds, fish, and animals. Centred around Kennabi Lake are 22 campsites accessible by water. HSR is Canada's largest Scout camp and third largest in North America. Scout troops normally come to the camp for week-long summer camps. HSR staff provide numerous programs for troops.
History
Following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Toronto Scout District (now Greater Toronto Council) wanted a rugged site for Scout camping. Their camping committee eventually located a 4150 acre (16.8 km²) site owned by the Mill Valley Lumber Company, which was completing cutting in that area. The property was purchased in the fall of 1946 and opened the following summer as Camp Kennabi. Many of the original lumber camp buildings are still in use. The first Camp Chief was Field Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
James C. Moore, after whom Moore Lake and the J. C. Trail are now named.
Starting in 1953, a composite camp (consisting of scouts from various troops attending as individuals with leadership provided by the camp staff) called Camp Kennaway, was run on the site. Camp Kennaway and Camp Kennabi merged in 1960 to form Haliburton Scout Reserve. Over the years, various plots of land were added to the original purchase. Since 1947, thousands of Scouts from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and many other countries have visited the camp.
Staffed programs
HSR's trained staff run a variety of programs during the week. Programs include:- SailingSailingSailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
lessons - KayakKayakA kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
lessons - RifleryShooting sportsA shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
with .22 calibre rifles.22 Long RifleThe .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
on a 18 m (20 yard) range. - ArcheryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
- Trapper's Cabin — Scouts visit a reconstructed cabin from the fur trapping era and learn about trappingTrapping (Animal)Animal trapping, or simply trapping, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, wildlife management, hunting, and pest control...
and loggingLoggingLogging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
, both of which were practised on the land that is now HSR. - Survival Island — Scouts learn about building shelters, purifying water, and how to become found if one is lost in the woods.
- Rappelling
- Climbing WallClimbing wallA climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
- Low Ropes course - An obstacle course including tight rope walks, slate bridges, etc.
- Snorkel Island — Scouts don mask, snorkel, and fins and search for treasures in the water near the island.
- Star Hike — Troops are barged to the middle of Kennabi Lake to look at the stars and hear stories about the constellations, if they stay awake.
- Badge Trading — Scouts gather at the Hub on Tuesday evening to trade badges.
- Mountain Biking — Scouts are guided along bike trails on an extended program.
HSR Regatta
Thursday afternoon is the HSR RegattaRegatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
. Troops gather at the Hub to compete in a variety of water-based activities. The events normally include:
- War Canoe race — A race in which there are ten scouts in each war canoe. (This race uses two of the three ten person war canoes owned by the reserve)
- PFD Swim — Swimming while wearing a PFD (Personal Flotation Device)
- Match Swim — Contestants must swim from one dock to another carrying a match. The winner is the first to light their match. Matches are normally carried in the mouth to keep them dry.
- Medly Swim — Four Scouts swim in a relay, each using a different stroke (back stroke, breast stroke, side stroke, and free style).
- Head-Up Front Crawl Race - Venturers swim two laps of head-up front crawl
- In and Out Canoe Race — Scouts race canoes. When a whistle is blown, Scouts must jump out then climb back in before continuing.
- Canoe Sculling Race — Scouts race three to a canoe without paddles using their hands for propulsion.
- Skipper's Taxi — Two Scouts race in rowboats, one Scout on each oarOarAn oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles are that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by...
. A Scouter sits at the back and directs the steering. - Canoe-Over-Canoe Race — Four Scouts with two canoes from each site race. When a whistle is blown, one canoe must swamp and be rescued by the other using canoe-over-canoe rescue, and then both canoes must race back to shore.
- Kayak Race - Venturers compete in an individual kayak race.
- Solo Canoe Race - Venturers compete in an individual canoe soloing race.
Program resources
Scouts can use canoes, kayaks, sailboats, rowboats, and lifeboats. Kennabi Lake offers excellent fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. There are many day trips available including visiting the logging museum in Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...
, seeing undomesticated wolves at the Haliburton Forest & Wildlife Reserve
Haliburton Forest
The Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd. is a privately owned forest, comprising 300 km² in the Haliburton Highlands of Ontario, Canada about 270 km northeast of Toronto, and just south of and abutting Algonquin Provincial Park.Haliburton Forest is a "multi-use forest", with...
, watching logs being processed at the Wilberforce Lumber and Veneer Company (see Wilberforce, Ontario), and visiting the abandoned Richardson Mine.
Hiking
HSR has an extensive network of marked hiking trails and outpost campsites, ideal for overnight hikes. Hiking trails wind their way through forests and over rock formations typical of the Canadian Shield. One can often see wildlife, such as deer on these hikes. Popular hiking destinations include High Falls, where one can have a shower under the waterfall; Pike's Peak, the highest point in HSR offering a fantastic view; and Hurst Lake, where there is a large shelter and a supply of canoes.Facilities
The central facility at HSR is called the Hub. Here is the Trading Post with souvenirs, snacks, and a small amount of camping equipment. Nearby is the Dobson Centre, where the Country Store is located. The Country Store stocks a full line of food and can make special orders (credit card facilities are not available anywhere in camp). The camp clinic is staffed by a doctor and nurse.Around Kennabi Lake and on its many islands are 22 troop campsites. Each of these includes a dock, swimming area, picnic tables, ground cooler for food, internal telephone, outdoor kybos, rowboats, campfire circle, and several patrol sites. There are also nine family/guest campsites with road access, drinking water, picnic tables, and fire pits. Some are suitable for trailers.