Founded in 1936 by naturalist Lou Handler and celebrated canoeist Omer Stringer, Tamakwa is summer home to 250-300 boys and girls — ages 7 to 16 — and over 130 staff. Tamakwa campers are mostly Canadian and American with some campers coming from Mexico, Israel, England, France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain. Canadian campers are mostly from the Toronto area and Americans are mostly from the suburbs of Detroit, but also many are from New York, California, Illinois, Florida, and everywhere in between.

Tamakwa is in Algonquin Provincial Park — the jewel of Canadian parks — where the call of a loon or a foraging moose are part of daily life. 3,000 square miles of pristine forest and 2,000 crystal clear lakes make Algonquin a world renown camping paradise and the perfect setting for Tamakwa’s program of canoe tripping, water sports, land sports, creative arts & many other activities.

Tamakwa is known for its spirit, tradition, intimate size, family feeling, and a strong bond. That bond, together with warm memories, is what children take home from summer camp and keep all the days of their lives. And that magical bond? That’s Tamakwa.