AlgomaTrad is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional music, dance and arts that are part of our Canadian culture and heritage. The Camp is supported in part by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

A typical day offers four periods of workshops for instruments, song, dance and arts and crafts as well as extra spontaneous workshops throughout the week during the afternoon break. Workshop schedules will be provided to registrants so each camper can build their own schedule.  As well, there are scheduled times for camp gatherings, group singing, and recreational games. A bus is provided each day for a trip to the beach in the village of Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island, weather permitting. There is ample time to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner while socializing with others. For most days at the camp, evenings begin with a creative dress-up parade through the campgrounds, always popular with the young and the young-at–heart, followed by a short concert and then a dance. Tune and Singing sessions occur at the same time in the Dining Hall. A campfire song session is a feature at least once during the week. Spontaneity is encouraged! Though we try to create a community where we watch out for each other, children are the responsibility of parents or caregivers when not in children’s workshops. Generally we end the week with student concerts and a farewell dance. Campers are encouraged to stay over until Saturday morning and have breakfast together before they leave. Anyone interested in helping to set up on or before the 14th or to tear down on the 22nd, is more than welcome; please contact us and let us know.

The Algoma Music Camp (where AlgomaTrad takes place) features an old barn that has been converted to an acoustically superb concert and dance space. (27 years ago Julie’s brother Raymond, now an internationally recognized and award-winning cello and violin maker, spent long hours wearing out his knees varnishing the large stage/dance floor). The barn is still very much a barn, with light peaking in through cracks in the walls, so, yes, it too is rustic, but beautiful. Music resonates without any outside interference because the site is rural among gently rolling hills. You might hear an occasional neighbouring cow, and most certainly some birds, but not much else besides the goings-on of the camp. Larger dance workshops, concerts and dances will be held in the barn. Below the main floor of the barn are a number of workshop rooms that will be used for appropriate workshop and rehearsal space.

The charming “Chicken Coop” is a large enough building to accommodate a large class. As we mentioned, the Dining Hall will also be available for arts and craft workshops and music and song sessions. If the weather cooperates – and this can be the nicest part of our summers up here – some of the workshops, especially those for young children, happen outdoors where there is lots of space to move around and enjoy the great outdoors.