Les Intrépides en-route

This French camp program is offered to students in French immersion or Francophone schools graduating from grade 3 to 6. It is developed for students who like discovering new places and making new friends. This is a short “away from home” trip to give campers a taste of adventure and independence… all in French. This year we will have 2 options for our short trip.  For our Niagara trip you will spend 2 days in our French day camp program to get to know each other and then go on a 3 day /2 night trip to an exciting destination.   For our Simcoe trip you will spend 1 day in our French day camp program and then go on a 4 day/3 night trip, also to a great destination!  This program is supervised by a French teacher and the ratio of counselor to campers will be 1 to 8. This is offered only a few weeks in the summer so be sure to book early. A maximum of 32 campers will be accepted but a minimum of 20 campers is required to run the French overnight camp program. We only offer 2 sessions of “Intrépides-en-route”.

• the week of July 15th: Niagara, Ontario,
• the week of July 29th: Simcoe County, Ontario

It is available for all campuses operating those weeks, however there must be a minimum of 5 campers at a campus for bus pick up to be available. All meals and activities are included. You will drop off your child on Tuesday (for our Simcoe trip) or Wednesday (for our Niagara trip) and pick them up on Friday at the campus. Campers are not guaranteed to be back on time on Friday to make the daily bus service so please plan accordingly. For all our trips, transportation is provided from each campus by school buses.  All trips are supervised by an experienced teacher who acts as a Chef de mission.  She or he is assisted by experienced Tournesol counselors of both gender.  Their goal is to encourage your child to speak French in a fun and safe environment.  As for all Tournesol camps, all counselors must submit a police background check and be trained for CPR and first aid. Campers are in rooms of 4 –  gender specific.  Counselors are in rooms adjacent to the campers. Following registration in mid-May, campers will receive a package which includes a detailed itinerary, address of accommodation and a list of things to bring. Any further questions can be directed to us once you have reviewed the package. Read the description for our trips below and contact us if you have any questions.  We would love to talk to you about it !!  You can click here to visit our fee page and you can also view our video from previous french overnight camp years here! 

Niagara region, Ontario – Sold Out!

Week of July 15th:

The Stay : The week of July 15th we will be staying in Niagara-on-the-Lake at Fort George. We will experience what it was like for the soldiers in the 1800s by sleeping in the soldiers’ quarters. Fort George has been restored to the period of the war of 1812 as the Niagara region was a battleground from 1812 to 1814 when it was invaded by the armies of the United States of America, in which Fort George played a vital role.   The barracks in which the campers will stay are composed of 2 large dormitories with bunk beds.  There is one for the girls and one for the boys.  Although there are sufficient washroom facilities, there are no shower facilities at the Fort.  Meals at the fort will be catered by a local company and served on large communal tables in the barracks.  The children should expect to contribute to setting the tables and cleaning up after meals.

The Fun : We will leave on Wednesday morning by school bus to Niagara-on-the-lake. On the way, we will stop at Queenstown Heights Park to have a picnic lunch. During the afternoon we will be visiting Niagara Falls followed by a visit of the whirlpools and the Niagara River from the Aero (cable) Car. From there we will make our way to the Butterfly Conservatory for a tour of that facility. The conservatory is the largest glass-enclosed conservatory in North America with over 2,000 different kinds of tropical butterflies. We will be having dinner at the Butterfly Conservatory. After dinner we will be taken to Fort George by bus where we will be sleeping for the next 2 nights.

On Thursday, we will spend the day at Fort George. In the morning we will walk through the forest to visit the Butler Barricks followed by a Fort George orientation. After lunch we will have guided tours of Fort George with a demonstration of how to fire a musket. The group will then be divided into 3 smaller groups for workshops, which we will rotate through. These workshops will teach us about artillery, music and drills in the 1800s.
In the evening we will leave Fort George by foot to take part in a Ghost Walk of the city of Niagara-on-the-Lake. On the walk, we will be treated to ghost stories of the houses and businesses, such stories are the headless solider, the Angle inn and the house that makes cameras go wonky.

On Friday we will visit the homestead of the heroine Laura Secord. We will learn about this brave woman who walked 32km through enemy lines to warn the British forces about the impending attack in the war of 1812. We will also get hands on experiences at the Mackenzie Printery. We will learn about William Lyon Mackenzie as well as learn how to “set type” and print. From there we will load on to the bus for the ride back home, with many new stories, experiences and friends.   

Simcoe County, Ontario – Sold Out!

Week of July 29th: 

The stay: The week of July 29th our destination is Simcoe County, Ontario.  We will stay in the historic Wye Valley at the Wildfire Outdoor Education Centre. Wildfire is nestled in beautiful central Ontario, better known as Huronia. Guests experience the great outdoors and participate in programs while enjoying the comfort of one of North America’s largest “Pan abode” cedar structures. The 12,000 square foot lodge sits on 85 wooded-acres along the beautiful Wye River. Wildfire features forested and meadowed grounds where we can enjoy nature in all its glory. The lodge’s large central hall features a huge fieldstone fireplace for groups to gather around.

The fun: We leave on Tuesday by bus which will stop at each campus to pick up participants.  Upon arrival we will have lunch onsite and participate in activities at Wildfire.  We will have dinner, followed by evening games, friendship bracelets and we will be treated to a campfire, marshmallows and campfire songs.

On Wednesday, we will spend the day tree top trekking at Horseshoe Valley.  Travel through fun and challenging courses high above the forest floor and cross zip lines – including the 900 foot Big Zip – for an unrivalled adrenaline rush. Stride along the top of the trees with the use of rope bridges, zip lines, climbing nets, footbridges, swings and more. Develop independence and responsibility, conquer fear of heights and focus concentration.

On Thursday campers will spend the day at Wildfire immersing in a native themed day. Make a mini paddle,  learn Native songs and dance, hear native legends and stories around the campfire.  On Friday morning, we will take a cruise with French commentary on Friday on beautiful Georgian Bay leaving from Penetanguishene.  After lunch campers will make their way back to the campus by bus tired and full of stories, new experiences and friends.  

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