- Address
- 1 Arowhon Road
- Source
- Landmarks
Camp Arowhon has been owned and operated by the Kates family since 1934. It is located on a private lake in Algonquin Provincial Park. Matriarch Lillian Kates established this family business, three generations long, in 1934. A formidable entrepreneur, Kates was undeterred by obstacles of the day such as adventurous travel through Ontario’s wilderness, anti-Semitism, sexism and a lack of financial resources. She passionately pursued her dream of creating a unique Canadian summer camp and single handedly recruited all of its first campers.
- Address
- 1 Arowhon Road
- Time Period
- 1934-present
- Scope Note
- Camp Arowhon has been owned and operated by the Kates family since 1934. It is located on a private lake in Algonquin Provincial Park. Matriarch Lillian Kates established this family business, three generations long, in 1934. A formidable entrepreneur, Kates was undeterred by obstacles of the day such as adventurous travel through Ontario’s wilderness, anti-Semitism, sexism and a lack of financial resources. She passionately pursued her dream of creating a unique Canadian summer camp and single handedly recruited all of its first campers.
- History
- When Kates’ son Eugene took over as director, he set up Arowhon’s unique system where campers independently chose their daily activities. True to the inspiration of its name-Samuel Butler’s Utopian novel “Nowhere” spelt backwards “Erehwon”-Arowhon did indeed become “a perfect world for children”. Today the camp is operated by Eugene’s daughter Joanne Kates, the celebrated food critic.
- Category
- Camps and Resorts
- Source
- Landmarks
