AlgomaTrad Family Camp 2024 – What a Week!

The 21st annual AlgomaTrad Family Camp took place from Monday, August 12 to Sunday, August 18 at the AlgomaTrad Centre. Participants of all-ages along with highly skilled and passionate artists/mentors enjoyed a magical week on beautiful St. Joseph Island.  The 180 person camp featured over 70 workshops each day, covering all learning levels from introduction to master, in: fiddle, tin whistle/flute, guitar, piano, cello, bass, uilleann and highland pipes, ukulele, mandolin, singing, contra dancing, dance calling, step-dancing, print-making, book-making, basketmaking, blacksmithing, timberframing, a community arts Mummer’s play, and children’s music, theatre and stories programming. Evenings were packed with music sessions, song circles, contra & square dances, a variety night, and the Staff Concert – an annual tradition that took place right on site this year for the first time since 2014!

Take a look at this wonderful video created by camp photographer Will Henry, to see the enthusiasm and joy that everyone brought to this delightful year. 

The AlgomaTrad Family Camp could not occur without the talents, hands-on help, and support of so many artists, volunteers, and local businesses.

We are eternally grateful to our hard-working and ardent staff. This year’s Camp Director and choir leader Shifra Cooper infused community gatherings with so much joy and connection, and worked tirelessly to ensure everyone felt comfortable and included. Julie, Pat and Shifra were supported by the incredible Camp Co-Director Kyle Burghout who played a huge role in camp administration from a distance, setting the stage for an amazing camp. Our brilliant, efficient, empathetic, sweet and thoughtful summer employee, (2nd year), Tori Grasley, seemed to always and magically be everywhere at once filling in so many gaps and making sure every single person felt included and valued. Always keen to learn, Tori helped immensely with every single aspect of camp before, during and after…we are truly grateful.

This year’s group of instructors/staff included: multi-award winning fiddler Shane Cook;  multi-instrumentalist and arranger  James Stephens; bassist/guitarist Joseph Phillips; award-winning step dancer and fiddler Adrianna Ciccone; guitar and mandolin wizard Darrin Schott; uilleann piper, pianist, and whistle player Arlo Quilley; singer/songwriter and guitarist and volunteer Erik Bleich; multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Kate Weekes; multi-instrumentalist and masterful arranger Lea Kirstein; artist, printmaker, and multi-instrumentalist/singer Ian Bell; old-time banjo player, dance caller and childrens’ program leader Martha Cooper; stepdancer and English sword dance master Laurie Cumming; all-night contra/square dance caller extraordinaire, and piano accompanist Emily Addison; fiddler Áine Schryer-O’Gorman; piano accompanist and AlgomaTrad Artistic Director Julie Schryer;  tin whistle, flute, and accordion player Eli Howard; Highland piper/tin whistle player and annual volunteer staff member Paul McClelland;  Highland and Uilleann piper/ tin whistle/Irish flute player and Artistic Director Pat O’Gorman; basketmaker Johnny Suderman; community arts leaders John Mayberry &  Ruth Howard; eclectic and creative children’s progamming musicians/artists Martha Cooper, Steve Cooper, and Ruth Howard; bookmaker, author and artist Elizabeth Creith; blacksmith Denis Frechette and his sidekicks, Adam Robinson and Brian St. Germain; Timber Framer instructor Rob Geoghen-Morphet, with help from Jack Bulcich, FABULOUS sound engineer and guitarist/fiddler Adam Iredale-Gray; and livestreaming tech Kayla Bishop. A very special thanks to our youth volunteer dance fiddler and generally helpful Jem Quilley.

Finally, a really HUGE and heartful thanks to our amazing kitchen staff and  volunteers. This was a big transition year for the kitchen, as our beloved chef for most of AlgomaTrad’s 21 years, Jane Wildman, decided to step away…filling Jane’s shoes felt like a daunting task, as the kitchen is at the centre of the camp experience and so very important!  But, thanks to Eli Howard, who recommended Sarah Gaby-Trotz, the transition was beautiful and seamless! Sarah brought so much peace and positivity to the kitchen, and we enjoyed getting to know her so much! The AlgomaTrad kitchen creates amazing meals for a lot of people for a week, so we are super thankful for all of the kitchen staff and volunteers, including Yvonne Kulawic, Anne Davies, Liam Coo, Lynda Henry, Nika Lennox, Amanda Moss, Jeanne Arthurs, Cindy Glover, Tom Enright, and Hannah-Lee Lawrence, along with so many other volunteers/campers who popped in at various times throughout the week to lend a hand. Special thanks to the early morning Breakfast crew: Julie Corcoran, Donna Forster, Hugh Devon, Tori Grasley, Brent Hyde and Bruce McLeish, as well as the WorkTrade teams, who helped with dishes, serving and more, ensuring that camp ran smoothly. Thank you Suzanne Hansen and Anne Davies for the mountain of granola, and to all those who contributed baking.

This year’s dance scene was very special, led by amazing teacher and caller Emily Addison, who didn’t get very much sleep, but kept us all dancing and having a great time. She was joined in the calling by Martha Cooper and local caller and volunteer Rodney Martin, plus brand-new caller on the last night, Kir Spector-Bloch! Additionally, Ruth Howard led a fun Irish set dancing elective each day, and Lou Hayden brought out her maypole for a great demonstration and dance. Thanks to these skilled callers and organizers, our dances were super fun, and featured lots of variety and range in levels.

A delightful new addition to the camp this year were the four instrument racks, built by Matt Ceolin, which greatly improved the flow of the main hall and helped keep more instruments safely off the floor!

Big thanks go out to AlgomaTrad’s hardworking Board of Directors:  Barb Willoughby (president/chair), Suzanne Hansen, Steve Schneider, Amy Reich, Samantha Giguere, Eli Howard, and Michael O’Gorman (& Sarah Fleming (ret.)), who volunteer their time to guide the entire AlgomaTrad endeavour throughout the year. Special thanks to the Auction committee, including Barb, Samantha, Sylvie Tremblay, Mary Schneider, and Joyce Ervin, whose efforts raised over $7000 for the Nicholas Missere Bursary Fund. Thanks to Rebecca Lindley, Sarah Fleming & Kelly Giguere who helped wrap up the auction quickly and smoothly. The Fund is important in helping to make camp and AlgomaTrad programs more accessible to families and individuals. Thanks to everyone who donated to and supported the online and silent auctions, your support is so important!

As with every year, the St. Joseph Island and area community had our backs in every way, before, during and after the Camp – from putting up tents, helping with food prep, offering up homes and trailers, building structures, cutting grass, trimming trees, welcoming families, helping with programming, preparing the workshop spaces, running elective workshops, hauling stuff away, cleaning, making airport runs, building showers…the list goes on! SO, very special thanks go to: Peter & Lois Lambert, Heather & Fred Pepper, Carl & Marilyn Bowyer, Heather & Brian Whitley, Norma Griffin & Robert Janser, Bob Pinder, Amanda Moss, Jennifer Kottick, Andrew MacKay, Kaitlyn Cain & family, Mike & Jessica Nadjiwon & family, Brandon,  Kerri & Sid Grasley, Anna Reich, Mika Chong, Ciara Varley, Peter Welles, Jeanne & Ed Arthurs, Michelle & Hugh Devon, Zach & Hollie Lefebvre, Benoit Lefebvre & Melanie Arthur, Janise Garside, Al Tithecott, Marigje & Paul Cooper, Julie and Jeff Corcoran, Linda Falls, Adam Robinson, Mary & Steve Schneider, Barb & Steve Willoughby, Ron & Melanie Dorscht, Rod & Lissy Martin & family, Marg Carruthers, and St. Joseph Township.

Several campers came early to help with set up, offered their considerable assistance during the week, or stayed to help tear down and clean up- thanks so much to Lou Hayden, Raffi Hayden-Florence, Emily Addison, Brent & Calum Hyde, Denis & Ann Lyons, Karl Granberg & Suzanne Hansen, Aidan Davies, Jel Coward, Rebecca Lindley & Annabelle, Sylvie Tremblay, Joseph Phillips, Remi & Wilbur Phillips and Will & Lynda Henry. Our apologies if we missed someone – there are so many campers who pitched in in so many ways; we appreciate you all for caring for the community!

As usual we had some wonderful support from local businesses including Penokean Hills Farms, St. Joseph Island Coffee Roasters, Northern Skies Resort, Lawrence’s Springwater Farms, Stobie Mechanical, Handcrafted Timber Homes,  Bonnie Barthelmes of Green Oak Grafix, North Shore Sentinel, Island Clippings, EchoTech, SOOTODAY.com, McClelland’s Hardware and Feed, and Karhi Contracting.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to the AlgomaTrad Centre for the Staff Concert and who supported the online fundraising auction, your support helps in more ways than you know.

AlgomaTrad humbly acknowledges, with gratitude, our privilege to work, play, make music, share food, build community, and create on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Métis.

Finally, Artistic Directors Julie Schryer and Pat O’Gorman send their deeply heartfelt thank you to all of this year’s AlgomaTradders who brought their passion, their excitement, and their total commitment to building a joyful and loving community to this year’s camp!

See you next year!!