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AlgomaTrad Family Camp
***Online registration for 2023 is now closed. If you are interested in attending camp, please contact Camp Director Kyle Burghout at kyle@algomatrad.ca.***
AlgomaTrad Family Camp 2023 begins on Monday, August 14 with camper arrival anytime after 12pm. Classes occur for 4 days, Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, with breaks for lunch and an elective period. Every evening after supper there are concerts, dances, and other events, including a Staff Concert open to the public and a camper Variety Night. Saturday is reserved for community gatherings, sessions, special events, optional class performances, and the Final Farewell Dance. Sunday morning, August 20, we have a Final Gathering at 10am before campers depart. Volunteers are welcome to stay to help wrap up the Camp.
Classes and workshops
All workshops, meals, dances, sessions, mini-concerts, and programming occur at the AlgomaTrad Centre, 1249 F&G Line, Richards Landing, St. Joseph Island, Ontario. The public Staff Concert will be held at the Centennial Grounds in Richards Landing, 5 minutes away.
CLICK HERE to view the 2023 Camp Schedule.
Skill levels
Descriptions of levels are simply guidelines for instrument players and stepdancers only; if you have questions/need some guidance, please feel free to consult us by email or phone at 705-257-6106. We want your experience to be both fun and challenging!
Introduction – introduction to the basics of a new instrument.
Level 1 – has learned the basics, can play a few simple tunes.
Level 2/Novice – has a good grasp of the basics and can play or accompany approximately a dozen tunes at a slow speed.
Level 3/Intermediate – has mastered the basics, can play or accompany many tunes at a medium tempo with ease and proficiency, and has experience learning by ear. Advanced accompanists will be integrated with this level.
Level 4/Master Class – For highly experienced musicians who can play a large repertoire of tunes at dance tempos. Tunes will be taught quickly with greater attention to style and technique.
Schedule
A schedule of workshops is sent to registrants by email and posted on-line by mid-June so each camper can select workshop preferences. There are 4 class periods during the day and an elective period in the afternoon that offers special workshops or can be used for practicing, swimming….or napping! Evenings are full, with concerts, dances, sessions, and other special events.
Check-in
All campers may check in after Noon on Monday, August 14.
Daily Gathering
The camp will begin with a community meal at 5PM on Monday, August 14 followed by an orientation Gathering and introduction to the Instructors at 6:30PM. We encourage all registrants/students, including Daycampers, to attend! A dance and jam sessions will follow the Gathering.
Attending the daily mid-morning Gathering is part of the community-building experience that AlgomaTrad endeavours to foster – you’ll find out information regarding elective period choices, special events, presentations and performances, PLUS you can take part in song sharing and other often unexpected fun stuff that occurs during the Gathering, AND get to know your fellow campers.
Accompanying parent or guardian
Children between the ages of 4-7 taking day classes must be accompanied by a guardian when not in class. Guardians are encouraged to attend classes for this age group. All children are the responsibility of the parent or guardian at all times. A registered full-time guardian may attend lunch, supper, and evening events but is not registered to take any daytime workshops except when accompanying child/children to their classes.
Camping
AlgomaTrad 2023 is a residential camp, but at this time there is only camping available at the AlgomaTrad Centre. A list of motels, B&Bs, and cabins are available under the Accommodations tab, or you can visit the St. Joseph Island Chamber of Commerce site – www.sjichamber.ca.
- There are washrooms, showers, potable water on-site. Although trailers are welcome there are no water/sewage hook ups.
- Electrical outlets are limited and restricted to light use (no A/C).
Registrants 13 and under who are camping must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Please let us know if you are between the ages of 14 and 18 and are attending the camp without a parent/guardian.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Our chefs and volunteer kitchen staff will prepare breakfast, lunch and supper plus snacks between workshops. Wholesome and delicious food is a priority. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available upon request. We do our utmost to accommodate dietary restrictions, please let us know if you have any.
Online and silent auctions
During the week we have our annual Online Auction and a silent auction for campers. The proceeds from this auction go towards our needs-based Nicholas Missere Bursary Fund as well as towards educational programming throughout the year. We welcome campers to contribute handmade items, art, services, disservices, massages, dinner, babysitting, hair braiding, holidays, whatever you can imagine. Campers will receive more information about this in July.
Public Health and AlgomaTrad Family Camp
AlgomaTrad follows all Federal and Provincial Public Health guidelines and directives concerning public events and travel restrictions. In the event that the AlgomaTrad Family Camp is cancelled due to governmental directives, full refunds will be administered to registrants.
Registration payment options
Registration may be paid by pre-authorized debit (PAD), credit card, e-Transfer, or by cheque payable to AlgomaTrad via snail mail. Visit the registration page for fees and options.
Bursaries
There are limited openings for campers in need of financial aid through our bursaries: the Nicholas Missere Bursary Fund, the Kate Murphy Bursary Fund, and the Annie Bartlett Bursary Fund. Please visit the bursaries page for more info.
Cancellation policy
Cancellation refunds are available up to July 15 minus a 10% administrative fee. Cancellations after July 15 will receive a 85% refund. No fee adjustments will be made in the case of late arrival or early departure.
Internet
At this time, there is no wifi at the AlgomaTrad Centre. The local library is 5 minutes away and offers high-speed internet and/or wifi at a nominal fee.
How to get to camp
AlgomaTrad Centre
AlgomaTrad Family Camp takes place at the AlgomaTrad Centre, 1249 F&G Line, Richards Landing, ON on beautiful St. Joseph Island in Ontario. View the map here where you can print out detailed directions.
This year’s camp team!
Brian Pickell
Brian (www.brianpickell.com) has been playing and composing traditional music for over twenty-five years. In the 1970’s, he was a founding member of the Humber River Valley Boys, a Toronto-based bluegrass band. The band toured extensively throughout Canada, played most of the major Folk and Bluegrass festivals, and produced three albums. In the early 1980’s, due […]
Shane Cook
A Canadian and US National fiddle champion, Shane Cook captivates audiences with technically thrilling and adventurous performances. Noted by The Canadian Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame as one of the “finest fiddlers in the world today,” Shane has distinguished himself as a master of the Canadian old-time fiddle tradition. He also enjoys playing and arranging everything […]
Anne Lederman
Anne Lederman (www.annelederman.com) is a fiddler/singer/composer rooted in several Canadian musical traditions, old and new – Métis and French-Canadian, Scottish, Irish and Old-Time Canadian, Eastern European and African. She has been a mainstay of Canadian traditional music since the 70s, recording 6 of her own recordings and performing and recording with numerous other traditional musicians, […]
James Stephens
James is known for his work both as a performer and producer/recording engineer. In performance, he plays a multitude of stringed instruments with an emphasis on fiddling. He has an abiding interest in traditional forms and styles of various ethnic origins, but also works extensively with singer-songwriters and was the principal songwriter in critically acclaimed […]
Dan MacDonald
Originally from Ironville, Cape Breton, Dan MacDonald began playing the fiddle at a young age, under the instruction of his father, Lloyd MacDonald, himself a well-known and respected Cape Breton fiddler. His early immersion in the strong musical culture of Cape Breton Island informs his now diverse musical voice, which has grown in strength and […]
Jane Cory
Jane Cory was first introduced to fiddle music through a Suzuki violin workshop, and she has gone on to explore numerous styles such as Old Time, Celtic, French Canadian, Métis, Ottawa Valley, Jazz and Bluegrass. She has competed and judged at many prestigious competitions across the country, and has performed at countless concerts, festivals, events […]
Áine Schryer-O’Gorman
Áine Schryer-O’Gorman has been playing fiddle for 16 years, learning music while touring and playing for dances with their family; being surrounded by the magic of their parents’ (Julie Schryer and Pat O’Gorman) music camp AlgomaTrad; and being influenced by many exceptional and generous musicians including their brother Benoît, uncles Raymond, Louis, Pierre, and Dan, […]
Ruby John
Ruby John is a Traditional Fiddler from Northern Michigan and a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa Chippewa Indians. Ruby has learned fiddling in a traditional way by ear, through listening to experienced fiddlers while attending OFMA Jamborees (Old-Time Michigan Fiddlers Association), Algomatrad Traditional Music and Dance camp (St. Joseph Island ON), Elder […]
Joseph Phillips
Born in Toronto, Joe Phillips has carved out a career as one of Canada’s most versatile double bassists. Currently playing with Art of Time Ensemble, The London Symphonia, Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project and Payadora Tango Ensemble, he has also played and recorded both bass and guitar with Pierre Schryer, Shane Cook, Nuala Kennedy, Sarah Slean, […]
Darrin Schott
Darrin received a mandolin for his 11th birthday, and has yet to be seen without an instrument since. He grew up in a musical family, where his father even hosted a weekly radio show in the 1950’s. Once Darrin had that first Mandolin he was hooked! He spent many of the next summers going to every bluegrass festival […]
Ian Bell
Ian Bell is a native of Waterford Ontario, a musician, visual artist, and former museum curator. As a folk musician, Ian Bell has performed across Canada and in the United States since the late 1970s On his own and with a number of groups, he has appeared at numerous folk festivals across Canada and abroad […]
Martha Cooper
Martha is no stranger to AlgomaTrad, having been there as a teacher and dance caller. She is excited to be coming back again this year as a banjo teacher. Martha comes from musical stock; her mother a fiddler and her father a musician and dance caller. Martha worked for the Ottawa Folklore Centre first as […]
Paul McClelland
Paul McClelland spent decades on the Ontario highland games circuit in bands, solos and as an adjudicator. He competed with the Town of Newmarket Pipe Band (Grade 2), Clan MacFarlane Pipe Band (Grade 1), and was Pipe Major of the Capercaillie Pipe Band (Grade 3). Moving to Scotland, Paul continued to compete as a soloist […]
Eli Howard
Eli Howard was first introduced to Irish traditional music at age five, when his school teacher began running tin whistle lessons at his elementary school. Eli quickly developed an obsession with traditional music which, since then, has led him to live in Ireland for an extended period, attend AlgomaTrad music camp for thirteen summers, as […]
Will Henry
Will Henry is a photographer, journalist, musician and tune maker based in Owen Sound. He is the author of Juggling the Notes, a collection of his photographs, original tunes and stories about the traditional music communities and musicians with which he has been associated. Henry has played fiddle for dances and concert performances in the […]
Laurie Cumming
“At a party long ago, I watched as a sheet of plywood was plunked down over her living room carpet and Kate Murphy jumped on and started to dance. I’ve been hooked ever since! Kate shared her love of step dance with me over the years and, in turn, I’ve been spreading the joy of […]
Emily Addison
Emily is a caller, trad musician, and dance organizer with a deep passion for building community, creating connections, and bringing joy to others in whatever role she is playing. As the caller at this year’s AlgomaTrad Camp, Emily will be weaving in lots of fantastic contra dances, some hot traditional squares, and a smattering of […]
Steáfán Hannigan
Steáfán Hannigan is an Irish musician, author, composer, audio engineer, theatre technical director, musicologist and instrument maker. Some of the instruments he plays are the Uilleann pipes, Bodhrán, tin whistle, bouzouki, guitar, tenor banjo, flute, mandolin and various percussion instruments. Steáfán was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland and moved to Canada 14 years […]
Ruth Howard
Ruth Howard is a theatre and interdisciplinary artist, and the founding Artistic Director of the beloved Toronto-based Jumblies Theatre which makes art with, for, and about the people and stories found in ordinary and extraordinary spaces and places. She has created many projects within Toronto and across Canada that bring together artists and participants of […]
Shifra Cooper
Shifra Cooper is a passionate educator, community artist and choral director with over ten years experience working with children, families and people of all ages. Shifra is committed to combining her artistic and educational practice in order to build community through story, song, movement, performance, creative technology and craft-making. In 2020, she completed a Masters […]
Johnny Suderman
Johnny Suderman is a willow basketmaker and hand-craft enthusiast. In early 2018 he found basketry at the intersection of craft, tradition, resilience, horticulture, permaculture, earth connection, and creative self expression. Ever since then he can be found coppicing willow in ditches, along stream banks, collecting sticks, making baskets, and generally just being the keenest basketry […]
Denis Frechette
I call myself a blacksmith because that is where my main focus has been for more than 40 years. I do enjoy and practice other forms of metalwork as well as traditional woodworking and pottery but the forge is always where I end up whenever I have any spare time. I grew up with a […]
Kyle Burghout
Kyle Burghout has performed across Canada, the USA, and abroad. His many awards include North American Irish Fiddle Champion, Grand North American Old-Time Fiddle Champion, and four-time runner-up at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition. He has also been composing music for over a decade, and his tunes have been played by Natalie MacMaster & […]
Julie Schryer
Julie Schryer grew up in a Franco-Ontarian home that was filled with traditional music and song. She began playing piano in 1972. Having four brothers as fiddle players gave Julie ample opportunity to develop as a piano accompanist. During her youth she played for hundreds of fiddle players at competitions and events throughout Ontario and […]
Patrick O’Gorman
Pat O’Gorman (pipes, whistle, flute) began playing bagpipes 55 years ago in the Ontario Highland Piping world and has studied traditional music in Ireland, Brittany and Cape Breton. He has been playing traditional music on wooden concert (Irish) flute for over 40 years and plays Irish Uilleann pipes and whistles as well. Pat has been […]
AlgomaTrad Family Camp terms and conditions
- No fee adjustments will be made in the case of late arrival or early departure.
- Cancellation refunds are available up to July 15 minus a 10% administrative fee. Cancellations after July 15 will receive an 85% refund.
- Resident (overnight) children campers under the age of 13 years must be accompanied by a parent/Guardian who is a registered camper. Children are the responsibility of the parent or Guardian at all times.
- Everyone must register, sign waivers and pay before the beginning of Camp.
- Only registered campers, staff, and volunteers are allowed to camp on site.
- The AlgomaTrad Family Camp reserves the right to expel, at any time, registrants deemed to be behaving in a way that threatens the safety and/or well being of themselves or others, or who place at risk the property or other registrants. Refunds will not be granted in this case.
- There is a NO SMOKING policy at the AlgomaTrad Centre.
- The AlgomaTrad Family Camp cannot be held responsible for loss, theft or damage of belongings.
- While considerable precautions are taken to secure the safety of registrants, AlgomaTrad Family Camp cannot assume liability in the event of sickness or accident. Adequate health insurance is recommended.
By registering for AlgomaTrad Family Camp, you agree to discharge AlgomaTrad, its staff, and volunteers from any claims for damages or personal injury which may result from you or your family’s participation in the AlgomaTrad Family Camp.
You and/or your family also agree to conduct yourselves according to any and all Public Health directives from the provincial and federal governments.
Thank you for your efforts to make AlgomaTrad a safe, welcoming, and joyful community.
Accommodations
There are several available options for registrants who do not want to camp. Following is a list of motels, B&Bs, and cabins, or you can go to the St. Joseph Island Chamber of Commerce site.
The Clansmen Motel
H-K Units & Suites, high-speed wi-fi, cable TV, phones, in-room coffee, senior discount, weekly rates, seasonal pool, snowmobile trail, 5 minutes from AlgomaTrad. RR#2 Richards Landing, Teresa & Neil Caughil.
705-246-2581 | clansmenmotel.ca | clansmenmotel@gmail.com
Fred’s Trailer Park and Laundromat
Walking distance to downtown Richard’s Landing. Full boat hook-ups, boat launch and docking. Laundromat open 24/7.
705-246-2572 | Nancy and Heather Littleton
Hilton Beach Inn
Year-round accommodations in Hilton Beach. Guest rooms and suites, some with kitchens.
705-246-0063 | 866-946-0063 | hiltonbeachinn.ca
Maria’s Cabins
Quaint, lakeside cottage resort , 1 km outside of Richards Landing. Fully equipped housekeeping cabins with bicycles, canoes and kayaks, operating year round. Operated by Daniela and Detlef Gebhart.
705-246-1570 | daniela.gebhart@sympatico.ca | mariascabins.com
Stonefield House B&B
An idyllic country retreat on 80 private acres. Three spacious rooms, all with en suite baths and satellite TV. Irish Pub-themed breakfast room, close to amenities, open all year.
705-246-1616 | stonefieldhouse@live.com | bbcanada.com/12610
Sunset Bay B&B
Paul and Rilla Higgins
705-246-2177 | sunsetbay.bb@gmail.com | sunsetbay.ca
Sunnyside B&B
1328 Sailor’s Encampment
Richards Landing P0R 1J0
705-246-1555 | sunnyside1328@gmail.com | sunnysidebnb.com
Become a volunteer!
Contact us for details.
AlgomaTrad has several bursary funds to support those who need financial help to participate in our camp and programs. For a description of each bursary and how to apply, please see below.
Bursaries are funded by generous supporters and help people in need attend AlgomaTrad. If you would like to donate to an existing bursary, please click on the “Donate now” button beside the name of the bursary.
Kate Murphy Memorial Bursary Fund Donate now
In honour of the late Kate Murphy (1950-2021)
Mulligan Dancers, Kate at right
Kate Murphy was a founding member of the Mulligan Dancers and part of several bands, including Murphy’s Law and the Dawnbreakers, and loyal friend to all. This bursary is open to people of any age who are interested in learning clawhammer banjo, traditional Ontario step-dancing and/or piano accompaniment for fiddling and could use a helping hand to pay for classes, lessons or an unforgettable trad music camp experience, including the AlgomaTrad Family Camp.
Anyone interested in applying for this bursary should write a short paragraph or record a short phone video about their music/dance background and interests.
Please email anne.lederman@gmail.com with your submissions by June 30, 2023
Annie Bartlett Bursary Fund Donate now
For One Learner at our 2023 Family Camp
In honour of the late Annie Bartlett (1998-2018)
AlgomaTrad was a life changing experience for Annie. Dance calling and art brought her new direction, joy and confidence in her teenage years.
When she was granted a ‘Make A Wish’, she chose to speak at a Be the Change youth rally about her Cystic Fibrosis and about how she did not want to be defined as a sick girl but as a ‘Speaker. Activist. Artist. Dance Caller.’
Annie in action!
Annie’s speech was a big success and, despite her frequent, lengthy stays in hospital, many speaking opportunities followed. With her husband Jack and her parents and siblings, she had an exciting life full of travel, joy and opportunities.
And Annie’s highlight? Bringing people together and Dance Calling at her own wedding with The O’Schraves providing the music.
Anyone interested in applying for this bursary should write a short paragraph or record a short phone video about their interests.
Please email sarah@algomatrad.ca with your submissions by June 30, 2023
Nicholas Missere Bursary Fund Donate now
for All AlgomaTrad Learners
In honour of the late Nicholas Missere (1993-2002)
This fund is to remember the fun-loving and musical example of our fellow fiddler Nicholas Augusto Missere. AlgomaTrad aims to do this by providing financial assistance to people who strive to expand their experience of traditional music, dance, and art as they continue to grow in their understanding of music, dance, and art in their lives.
In remembering the joy and talents of Nicholas, we offer financial aid from this bursary fund in areas of traditional music, dance, and art instruction and performance, with an emphasis on inspiring learners of all ages.
This bursary fund can:
● assist a learner to attend the Algoma Traditional Music and Dance and Heritage Arts Family Camp;
● assist individuals to enhance their music, dance or art abilities through workshops or lessons offered by AlgomaTrad throughout the year;
● be utilized from time to time, as determined by the AlgomaTrad Board of Directors, to assist the operations of the AlgomaTrad in providing activities that promote the growth of traditional music, dance and art in the Algoma region.
Anyone interested in applying for this bursary should email music@algomatrad.ca.