Our HistoryIn 1945, several Sunday school teachers and superintendents from a number of Brethren churches in Toronto saw the need to take children out of the city, let them get to know God in the beauty of His creation and share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A committee was appointed and in 1946 the first summer program was held using rented facilities at Fair Havens Bible Conference on the Trent River near Beaverton. The camp was called The Fountain of Living Waters (John 4:10-14). Tents were erected and the first camps were held in August 1946: one for 50 boys and one for 50 girls. The next year, property was purchased on Mary Lake in Muskoka, the name was changed to Camp Mini-Yo-We, and the camp was incorporated. "Mini-Yo-We" is a phrase from the Dakota Sioux meaning a "fountain" or "spring of water".
Today, Camp Mini-Yo-We operates four campsites: South Camp (Girls Camp), Chemawa (Discovery Camp), Edgewoods (Boys Camp) and Northwoods (Youth Camp). Each site has a lodge and is divided into section of cabins. In total, Camp can accommodate up to 350 campers per week during the summer and over 100 guests at a time during the fall, winter and spring. Through excellence in Christian camping over the past 66 years Mini-Yo-We has become known as one of the best Christian summer camps in Ontario.
For the past few years, over 100 children have made first-time faith commitments to Jesus Christ each year. Our amazing summer camp programs and activities at Camp combined with learning about the truth of God allow has kept campers from all over Ontario and Canada coming back to enjoy this amazing Christian overnight camp.
Organization Structure
Camp Mini-Yo-We is incorporated as an Ontario not-for-profit corporation. We are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as Registered Charity number 119041721.
Camp is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. As of December 2012 the Board consists of the ten people listed below. The Board functions as a Policy Board and has five scheduled meetings each year.
Norm BeangeConstance Carmichael SecretaryAllan HoltSam Maduri TreasurerAndy Montgomery Chairman and PresidentPaul OgborneSarah RickardJoy Thorne EnrightDon Van Meer Vice Chairman and Vice PresidentSteve Wright
Executive Director - Michael Ankenmann
Michael has been Executive Director since
1998 and was Director of Operations at Camp prior to that. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto
with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering.
Prior to joining the year-round Camp staff team Michael spent 11 years as an engineer and then an associate of the geotechnical consulting engineering firm Golder Associates. He heard the Gospel for the first time and became a Christian at Camp Mini-Yo-We while a camper for the first time in 1974. From 1976 to 1983 Michael served on the summer staff team at Camp as a cabin leader, section head, out trip leader, camp director, and maintenance man. He has served on the governing Committee and Board of Camp, including a term as the Chairman from about 1982 to 1990.
Michael is married to Jean, a registered nurse, and they make their home in Huntsville where they attend Faith Baptist Church. They have three children; Ben and Kylie study at McMaster University, and Josh is in home school in grade 10. Being a camper at Camp Mini-Yo-We was an excellent and defining experience for Michael and he desires every camper to have a similar positive experience.
Michael has been Executive Director since
1998 and was Director of Operations at Camp prior to that. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto
with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering. Prior to joining the year-round Camp staff team Michael spent 11 years as an engineer and then an associate of the geotechnical consulting engineering firm Golder Associates. He heard the Gospel for the first time and became a Christian at Camp Mini-Yo-We while a camper for the first time in 1974. From 1976 to 1983 Michael served on the summer staff team at Camp as a cabin leader, section head, out trip leader, camp director, and maintenance man. He has served on the governing Committee and Board of Camp, including a term as the Chairman from about 1982 to 1990.
Michael is married to Jean, a registered nurse, and they make their home in Huntsville where they attend Faith Baptist Church. They have three children; Ben and Kylie study at McMaster University, and Josh is in home school in grade 10. Being a camper at Camp Mini-Yo-We was an excellent and defining experience for Michael and he desires every camper to have a similar positive experience.
