Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I read in your literature that you are a Christian camp. What does that mean?
Q: My child could go to more than one program because of their age. How should I decide which program is best?
Q: How many activity periods are there in a week?
Q: How do activity boards work?
Q: Can I choose activities prior to camp?
Q: Is my child going to be limited from doing certain activities because of their age?
Q: What is the camper to staff ratio?
Q: How are staff selected?
Q: How old are your Cabin Leaders?
Q: What is your staff return rate from summer to summer?
Q: How closely supervised are the campers?
Q: What safety standards do you meet?
Q: How close is the nearest hospital?
Q: My child is taking medications. How will this work at camp?
Q: Can I arrange a visit to Medeba prior to camp?
Q: Can my child be in the same cabin as their friend?
Q: What is the food like?
Q: Can I correspond with my child during camp?

Q: I read in your literature that you are a Christian camp. What does that mean?

A: Medeba is a nonprofit, interdenominational, Christian camp. The founders of the camp established Medeba as a place where young people could grow in all areas of life: physically, socially, mentally and spiritually. We are not connected with any specific denomination, meaning that we have many different Christian backgrounds represented in our leadership. Everyone is welcome to attend Medeba regardless of their religious background, if any. Many of our campers are not regular church attenders. Each day, during our Cabin Impact time we share the Christian message through some great singing and an interactive stories that emphasize principles from the Bible. Staff also desire to share the Christian message through a consistent lifestyle. You are welcome to call or email the office with any questions.

Q: My child could go to more than one program because of their age. How should I decide which program is best?

A: We usually say that parents know best. Although your child will be placed in a cabin with children their own age, there are times when they will be with all other ages. The key question to ask is "Do they generally get along better with children a little older or a little younger"? Also consider that the older the age group of the program, the more freedom there is to plan their day, and the more independence is required of the camper.

Q: How many activity periods are there in a week?

A: The Blast program offers four activity periods per day. During the week campers rotate between twenty different activities. Discovery and Venture programs offer four activity periods per day and Nitro offers three. Instructional activities are taken each day for the entire week and are generally one hour in length. Recreational activities are generally one hour in length and can be taken as often as possible.

Q: How do activity boards work?

A: Activity boards are used for all programs except for Blast. Campers are assigned a number (called a buddy number) at the beginning of the week and they use that number to sign-up for activities on the activity boards. Each day they take their numbered tags and place them beside the activity they want to do. This gives the campers the freedom to shape their own week.

Q: Can I choose activities prior to camp?

A: Some activities may be chosen prior to camp. Discovery campers may choose Adventure Tours. Venture campers may choose Adventure Tours and Adventure Clubs. Other activities are chosen once campers arrive.

Q: Is my child going to be limited from doing certain activities because of their age?

A: The only age restrictions are for the program itself. In other words, if your child's age is appropriate for the program, their age will not be a restriction for choosing activities during that program.

Q: What is the camper to staff ratio?

A: It is important to distinguish which staff members you are counting in the ratio. At Medeba there are two staff members in each cabin with up to eight campers: that is a four to one camper to staff ratio. But, if you count all campers and all staff in the program, the ratio is closer to a 2:1 camper to staff ratio on site.

Q: How are staff selected?

A: All potential staff go through an extensive selection process. They must fill out a detailed application and obtain three references. After that a personal interview is arranged to determine their suitability. The final step involves a background Police check, Vulnerable Sector check, and verification of Standard First Aid certification.

Q: How old are your Cabin Leaders?

A: Cabin leaders must be at least 18 years old and generally they have a college or university background. Assistant Cabin Leaders are usually at least 17 years of age.

Q: What is your staff return rate from summer to summer?

A: Many of our staff return year after year. A number of them were even campers and Leaders-In-Training at Medeba. The return rate changes from year to year, averaging around 60%.

Q: How closely supervised are the campers?

A: Campers are supervised all the time. Cabin Leaders and Assistant Cabin Leaders sleep in the same cabin as the campers. During the day the level of supervision changes according to the activity.

Q: What safety standards do you meet?

A: Medeba adheres to a rigid set of safety standards. We exceed the standards established by the government and meet or exceed the standards of the Ontario Camping Association, who complete an extensive review process every four years to continue to grant us accreditation. Additionally, Medeba has established its own Risk Management Manual which stipulates how activities are run. We do our best to ensure your child's safety.

Q: How close is the nearest hospital?

A: The nearest hospital is located in the town of Haliburton, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from camp.

Q: My child is taking medications. How will this work at camp?

A: Medications are controlled by our Heath Care Coordinator and are stored in our Health Centre. The Health Care Coordinator distributes them according to individual camper needs. Camper's personal medications must be brought in their original containers with the camper name on them. If they are prescription, they need to be in the original prescription bottle.

Q: Can I arrange a visit to Medeba prior to camp?

A: Yes, just give us a call to arrange a visit.

Q: Can my child be in the same cabin as their friend?

A: We do our best to accommodate any requests to be in the same cabin as a friend. Most times, with enough notice, this is possible if they are of a similar age.

Q: What is the food like?

A: All meals are served family style with good, wholesome food that campers generally like. We continually evaluate our menus to ensure we meet this goal. A fruit bowl is available during each meal at the beverage table. We are able to accommodate vegetarians but need to have notice at least a week before the camp program starts. You have the opportunity to indicate any special dietary needs on the Restricted Diet Checklist, which is sent to you with your confirmation package.

Q: Can I correspond with my child during camp?

A: Yes, there are several ways to do this:

By Mail
Campers look forward to receiving mail and we encourage parents and relatives to send letters. Due to our location, it may take more than a week for us to receive mail. We recommend sending any letters the week before they are due to arrive. Please do not send anything through the mail that may contain, contains, or is a nut product. All mail, including snail mail, is distributed every evening after supper.

Address camper mail to
    (full name of camper),
    Medeba Summer Camp
    Box138
  West Guilford, ON
    K0M 2S0

By Email
You may email your camper. A 50¢ charge will be placed against their tuck account for each incoming e-mail. Campers are unable to e-mail back. Our e-mail. address is: info@medeba.com (Please type the campers full name on the "subject" line with their cabin name).

By Phone
Campers do not normally have access to the phone. We would encourage you not to call them unless it is an emergency. If you would like to know how your child is making out, we ask that you call and talk to the cabin leader. The number to reach them at is 1-705-754-2444, ext. 231, during meal times.