A majority of the campers who come to Camp Mini-Yo-We are from around the Greater Toronto Area. However, for decades, families from far afield have been making the annual trek to Mary Lake to enroll their kids in Camp. Mini-Yo-We hosts several campers from the United States of America every summer. Why do Americans choose to send their kids to Camp Mini-Yo-We every summer? Well, here are a couple reasons why:
- Muskoka // The region of Canada that Mini-Yo-We rests in is called Muskoka and it’s one of the most fascinating places in the world. In fact, it attracts visitors worldwide who come to witness the amazing lakes, beautiful dense forests, clear skies and the breath-taking sunsets. On top of that, the region is dotted with amazing rock formations called ‘The Canadian Shield’. Muskoka has frequently been called the “Malibu of the North” or the “Hamptons of the North” because of the celebrities like Steven Spielberg, Kate Hudson, Tom Hanks, etc. spend their summers here. Mini-Yo-We boasts nearly 1 mile of undisturbed shoreline and over 270 acres for our Campers to explore and enjoy. American families choose Mini-Yo-We because you simply cannot get this experience anywhere else!
- Culture // There have been too many studies pointing that kids with an exposure to other cultures develop a broader worldview and ultimately a richer outlook on life. One of the benefits that our American campers get is the ability to hang out with Canadian kids from a slightly different culture. In fact, this is an ideal cultural exposure because the difference between these two cultures is noticeable but not so extreme for your kids to have a difficult time adapting or learning from the experience. Our American families celebrate the fact that their kids end up with friends from a different country. This is a huge asset of coming to Camp Mini-Yo-We every summer.
- Exchange Rate // Can we get practical for a moment? The American dollar is stronger than the Canadian dollar. As I write this $0.76 US gets our American families $1.00 Canadian. That represents a huge savings of hundreds of dollars for our guests from the US. [Click here to see the up to date exchange rate.] This has been proven to be historically true and although the exchange rate does vary over time, it ultimately lands somewhere in that range. Take advantage of the strong US Dollar when investing in your kids’ summer camp experience at Camp Mini-Yo-We.
- Family Get Away // We’ve noticed that many of our American guests make the trip to Camp Mini-Yo-We as a family experience. They may choose to come and drop the kids off at Mini-Yo-We and the parents later enjoy some alone time at a nearby resort or an AirBnB location. Some of our American camper families even choose to stay at Mini-Yo-We for the week and serve on one of our volunteer teams. Typically these families take in other great Canadian destinations while they are on the trip to Mini-Yo-We including Toronto, Niagara Falls or Algonquin Provincial Park.
- Our Community // Although Camp Mini-Yo-We provides programs for children and young people, we are in actuality best understood as a community. The families that benefit the most from our ministry plug in and keep coming back year after year. These regular kids develop close friendships at Camp that last a lifetime. When we talk with these recurring families from the US, they refer to the fact that the people who make up Mini-Yo-We are the reason they are drawn back to Camp. They are drawn to the community that gathers around this experience. Similarly, we are always glad to welcome American friends into the Mini-Yo-We community!
- Our Big Idea // Mini-Yo-We exists to develop tomorrow’s leaders through life-changing adventures in God’s creation. At our core, we’re about helping young Christian leaders become all that God is calling them to become. The very center of our purpose to watch these young leaders take their first steps in making an impact on the world. As our American families take a tour through the Camp, they appreciate up close the young people we’re developing and want that same experience for their kids.
I’m not just writing this as a theoretical exercise! Before I took over the Executive Director role here at Camp Mini-Yo-We, I lived in New Jersey and made the annual long drive to Mary Lake with my wife and kids. For over 10 years, we’ve been bringing our kids to Mini-Yo-We and I feel honored when other families from the US choose to do the same.
We welcome your kids this summer at Camp Mini-Yo-We regardless of where you are coming from. Our team would love to answer any questions you might have about enrolling your kids for this summer. Feel free to reach out to us and ask whatever questions you might have:
Email: info@miniyowe.com
Phone: 705-385-2629