This week we look briefly at the superintendents who have lent their skill and workmanship to the evolution of Olympia Sports Camp, but as with most things Olympia, it is about family, and the generational feel of a place we call home. 

 A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp takes us on a journey of the land called Interlaken. We look at the indigenous population that thrived in the area for centuries. We look at the European settlement era and the colonization of Muskoka in the 1800’s. We look at the Norwegian Air Force’s use of the land to help beat back the Nazi’s during WW ll. We look at the years from 1945-1975 when the Kiwanis Club of Toronto ran a camp for underprivileged children, then we look at the years of Dave Grace’s dream coming to fruition. There is a flow and coherence to all these phases of the journey of the land, but it isn’t the land; it’s the people. 

Sam and Gary Southworth

  When Dave Grace took the bat off the shoulder and purchased the land in 1979 as the permanent home to Olympia Sports Camp it was a major step, but it was just the first step. The purchase of the property was just the start as much work would be needed in order for Interlaken to take Olympia Sports Camp to the heights of success that would span the next 50 years. Talk about a stretch goal!

The transfer of the property to “Olympia Athletic Camps Limited” was finalized on September 5, 1979, and by the time camp opened in June of 1980 Dave had built the fieldhouse and six asphalt ‘tennis’ courts. He also had installed camper cabins 1 and 9, upgraded other camper cabins and moved and renovated the coach’s cabins. The sodding of three playing fields also took place. 

 Gerry and Margaret Withers

 Central to this effort was the original superintendent of Olympia, Gerry Withers. Gerry was at Interlaken years before Dave Grace with the Kiwanis camp and oversaw the transfer to Olympia, working and living on the property until 1985. There exists today a familial connection to Gerry and his wife Margaret. Their daughter in law Janet MacRae was the full-time camp nurse in the early days when one nurse would stay for the entire summer. In 1979 she gave birth to a son, named Sam, who spent his first year of life at camp and has been there ever since. 

Sam’s stepdad Gary Southworth was an original staff member at the old Winnebagoe site and coached at camp until Sam was old enough to be a counsellor. Sam was counsellor for four years starting in 1996 and is now a teacher and a week 5 Olympia coach with kids of his own. Sam Southworth was always proud that his paternal grandparents were Olympia’s original caretakers, and prouder still when they were honoured in 2000 with the naming of the Gerald and Margaret Withers Sportsplex and a mural was unveiled in a special ceremony during camp. 

 Current superintendent Bruce Ransom took over in 1985 and has spearheaded a lot of the structural growth of the camp that exists to this day. In 1985 the gym was built, adding two more indoor courts. In 1986 there was an addition to the main lodge. In 1988 the motel unit for single coaches was built. In 1990 Dave took the bat off his shoulder yet again and spent $2.5 million on a massive project that included the building of the sports plex off the gym that included an indoor lap swimming pool, a fitness centre, aerobics floor, indoor track, and changerooms. It also meant a huge addition to the main lodge, with a bigger eating area and a large conference room upstairs, off the coach’s lounge. Dave eventually had the lap pool filled in to make the beautiful lakeside studio in an idyllic setting near the shores of Oxbow. The 1990’s saw the focus of camp go to the maximization of the experiences of the campers. Spring basketball tournaments started in 1991, and low ropes and high ropes courses were added, as well as a climbing wall in the gym, all for team building activities. Later, the zip line, then the double zipline, and the outdoor climbing tower were added on. The Giant Swing and a four-sided climbing tower came later. In addition, Bruce and his various crews added projects on seemingly a yearly basis, building the patio area outside the motel unit, the Walker D Russell bridge across the creek leading to the fieldhouse, the firepit called, of course, Graceland, and many, many others. 

 The Hudson Bay building, built in 1873 and used to house camp staff, was razed in 2000 and replaced by Hudson Bay2. Also called the box. Bruce showed his ingenuity best in building the “Bro Shop,” his workshop that is located near the fieldhouse. A cottager on nearby Blue Lake was going to burn down his garage. Bruce took a few students and they cut the garage into three pieces with a chain saw, brought it to camp, and put it back together! 

 On a side note, Dave Grace always loves the continuity and consistency of life at camp and to have only two superintendents over 50 years is testimony to that fact. Two of the best! To Gerry and Margaret Withers and Bruce and Diana Ransom, we salute you and we thank you. 

The Summer 2022 Schedule is out. Check out the website. www.olympiasportscamp.com one thing for certain is that experiences like Olympia Sports Camp are exactly what is needed to spring out and away from two years of no camps. Not only is camp a safe place to be, kids will be surrounded by caring leaders who want them to learn and grow and have a blast doing it. Help spread the vibe that after two years the best sports camp in Canada ( with the four reasons we hear at every opening) will be back and be better than ever.  

 

 

 

The link to the blog is TuesdayswithDave.blogspot.com

This blog is about the journey of the writing of the book A Hero's Journey: From Little Norway to Olympia Sports Camp. The blog will contain excerpts from the book and my personal thoughts on what the place and the people that make up Olympia's journey is all about. The title comes from the great book Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom. The blog's title is recognizing Dave Grace as Camp Director, but all content is my own.