Camp Tamakwa

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Camp Tamakwa is a summer camp in Algonquin Provincial Park that accommodates nearly 250 boys and girls and 100 staff each summer.

1 History
2 Notable alumni
3 External links

[edit] History

Lou Handler established Camp Tamakwa in 1936 with the help of his close friend Omer Stringer, the Canadian canoeist and craftsman, who built the first camp facilities on the shores of South Tea Lake, about 175 miles north of Toronto. In the years before his death in 1988, Omer was best known for designing the Beaver Canoe. Original interest came from wilderness or outdoor enthusiasts from Southern Ontario who would send their children to spend a few weeks canoeing, fishing, or camping. Lou ran Tamakwa with his sister Esta Kraft until their deaths in 1974 and 1972, respectively. Charlie Kraft Esta Kraft's nephew, inherited the camp and in 1980, the camp was purchased by investor Howard Perlmutter of Toronto together with native Michiganians Vic Norris and David Bale, all of whom felt strongly about perpetuating Handler's legacy and the Tamakwa tradition. In 2004, David Bale stepped down from his position as Senior Director and was replaced by Craig Perlmutter. Norris and Perlmutter operate the camp full-time out of offices in Detroit and Toronto respectively. They are the principal owners and directors. Currently, campers and staff come mostly from Detroit and Toronto, but also from California, Montreal, Chicago, New York, Connecticut, Australia, and everywhere in between.

In addition to traditional camping programs, Tamakwa is known for bringing in musical acts to entertain campers and staff throughout the summer. The 2007 schedule included Sadie Hawkin's Night, the Harvey Deutch Triathlon, Color War, and much more.

[edit] Lou Handler

For most of the campers, Tamakwa's spirit was embodied in the figure of Lou Handler, known throughout his career as "Unca" Lou. He was a multi-faceted man who enjoyed nature, camping, music, and sports such as boxing. Alongside his life in camping, Lou had a professional boxing career as a fighter, referee, and promoter. He refereed some famous bouts which included Joe Louis, Rocky Graziano, and the championship fight of the "Raging Bull," Jake LaMotta. Lou's boxing career was celebrated in 1989 when he was inducted into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

[edit] Indian Summer

Camp Tamakwa was the inspiration, the setting, and the filming location for Indian Summer, the Disney/Touchstone film about a group of friends who return to the camp of their childhood. The film's portrayal of Tamakwa traditions, lore, songs, pranks, and even the expressions are all Tamakwan in origin, such as words like "How How", "Biffy", and "Shreck". The black with white stripe canoes, the symbol of Tamakwa canoeists, appears throughout the film.

The film was written and directed by Camp Tamakwa alumni Mike Binder.

[edit] Drowning Death - Summer of 2007

During the summer of 2007, Michael Greene, age 18, a staff member, drowned during a required swim test. Information can be located at Michael Greene Drowning Information.