March 16 Camp Spirit Day! FULL!

Thanks to all who signed up!  Camp Spirit Day is now full.

See you at First Mennonite Church in Kitchener @ 800 King Street East. Come for a day of camp programs: games, outdoor activities (weather permitting), crafts and a time to connect!  Campers will be divided into groups by age (5-9 and 10-14). See schedule below (subject to change).

Click here to register

Meet the March Break Camp Spirit Day staff:

Cadance Tan- Assistant Director Media & Day Camps

‘Hi! My name is Cady! I am a student at Ryerson in the Creative Industries program – essentially, I love anything media related (especially children’s media). I have many years of experience at day camps where my favourite thing to do at camp was crafts! Crafts are definitely an area I want to highlight at camp as I love developing this type of creative expression in campers. So, a little bit more about me: I like swimming, hanging with my friends, and eating twizzlers. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at camp!”

Nathan Diller Harder- Head Counsellor

What I love about camp the most is how supportive and positive a community it is. As a child, many of my fondest memories and most impactful growth experiences happened at Silver Lake and I am forever grateful that I can give back to a community that means so much to me.  Aside from working at camp since 2018, I have worked with the YMCA as a youth leader, volunteered in schools, tutored children, and worked with House of Friendship. I am set to graduate from the University of Waterloo with a degree in Social Development Studies and History.  My hobbies include running, basketball, reading, thrifting, soaking up the sun, and catching vibes while hanging out with friends 🙂 I hope to have a positive impact on the lives of campers, staff, and volunteers! Everyone who comes to camp deserves to be supported and welcomed, and to have a tremendous camp experience. I am excited to help make a wonderful environment where kids can be themselves and come home with a great camp experience! Whether through direct support, a positive attitude, checking in on others, or facilitating programming, I am ready to give my all to this wonderful community!

Mika Umutoni- Staff

Hi! My name is Mika!   What I love most about camp is the community! I always feel supported and welcomed. Silver Lake has a beautiful place which makes it great to spend summers working. I have volunteered at Eastwood Collegiate Institute, tutoring young children. I am a student at Eastwood Collegiate Institute graduating this year. My hobbies are dancing, volleyball, cooking, and hanging out with friends. I hope to have an impact on campers’ lives. I want the children to like SLMC so much that they would like to come back in the summer!

Bian Almasri- Staff

Clara Joy Tan- Staff

Schedule at a Glance:

8:30-9:00am Drop Off

9:00-9:10 Camp Opening, Morning Watch and Welcome Activities

9:10-9:40 Session 1- Team Building

9:40 -10:10 Snack, Bathroom Break and Games

10:10-10:40 Session 2:  Tag Time

10:40-11:10 Session 3- Active Circle Games

11:10-11:40 Craft + Clean Up

11:40-12:10 Session 4 – The Park!

12:10-12:30 Session 5 – Bathroom Break and Activities

12:30-1:00 Lunch-.  Bring Your Own Lunch (no nuts!) and Campfire & Hot Chocolate

1:00-1:30 Session 6- Nature

1:30-2:00 Session 7- Quest

2:00-2:30 Snack, Bathroom Break, Clean Up

2:30-3:00 Session 8- Camper Choice Activities

3:00 – 3:30 Large Group/Field Games

3:30-4:00 Session 9- Campfire

4:00-4:30pm Free Play and Pick Up

SLMC Through the Years – A Digital Tour

Click here to take a trip down memory lane at Silver Lake! View the historic timeline, photos and much more! Another 60th Anniversary Project to remember as Silver Lake heads into its 61st year.

Join the Circle! Become a Campfire Builder Monthly Donor

New Fundraiser Launched to Recruit Monthly Donors!

October 8, 2021

Hello Friends of Silver Lake!

For our final fundraising campaign in honour of Silver Lake’s 60th Anniversary, we hope to enlist 60 monthly donors to become Campfire Builders!

Monthly donations are especially helpful, since they allow predictability for planning in everything from programming to facilities.

The campfire circle is the heart of Silver Lake and your steady support helps that heart beat strongly. Your regular contribution, big or small, will have a significant impact over time.

Campaign Details

• Your monthly donation to the general fund will offer a steady and predictable source of income for camp.
• Have your name acknowledged in the list below to encourage others to join! (option to remain anonymous)
• All Campfire Builders will receive a special thank you SLMC magnet!
• Click on the button below to set up your easy and automated monthly gift to SLMC.

Become a Monthly Donor Now!

Monthly Donor List

A heartfelt thank you goes out to SLMC’s long-time monthly donors (#1-9). Your ongoing generosity and commitment is what inspired this campaign.

Join the Circle and we will add your name to this monthly donor community! Can you help us grow this list to 60 Campfire Builders?

↓ Keep scrolling to view the photo gallery.

1. Mark Weber & Sheri Wideman
2. Dylan Siebert
3. Quinn Klassen & Matt Madigan
4. Anonymous
5. Wendy Janzen & Chip Bender
6. Beth Wasylyk
7. Nathan Kruger
8. Paul Boers
9. Janet & Trevor Bauman
10. Ed & Jo-Anne Harder
11. Dan Pauls & Treena Pauls
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13. Nancy & Ernie Regehr
14. Ingrid & Henry Heinrichs Pauls
15. Akio Saito
16. John & Ruth Dyck
17. David Bergen & Deborah Kehler
18. Mark & Rachel Diller Harder
19. Paul Fieguth & Betty Pries
20. Tara & Todd O’Donnell

21. Peter & Ella Pauls
22. Tim & Tammy Isaak
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24. Rachel Harder & Matt Snider
25. Christine & Don Weber
26. Hannah Fransen & Joel Morrissey
27. Linda Weber & Chris Javornik
28. Darren Brunk
29. Tim Hedrick & Janice Maust Hedrick
30. John Brubacher & Rhonda Wideman
31. Kate (a.k.a. Kathy) Neudorf
32. Jillian Burkhardt & Chris Steingart
33. Anonymous
34. Linda Janzen
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Photo Gallery - The Beloved Campfire Circle Through the Years

Click on the first photo to start slideshow!

Become a Monthly Donor Now!

60 Years. $60,000. Let’s Build a CILT Cabin!

Update – The CILT Cabin Campaign Fund continues to grow. We are getting closer and closer to reaching the goal thanks to the generosity of the Silver Lake community!

March 20, 2021

We are excited to officially launch the first fundraising campaign to celebrate Silver Lake’s 60th Anniversary!

60 Years. $60,000. Let’s Build a CILT Cabin!

Silver Lake was started by young Mennonite leaders in 1961. From then until now, Silver Lake has empowered young leaders. The Camper in Leadership Training program (CILTs) has been a cornerstone of the Silver Lake experience. The CILT cabins are the last cabins at camp that need replacing. As we support young leaders and meet the demands of an expanding leadership program, this project of building a CILT cabin and rejuvenating the CILT area is the perfect fit for the 60th Anniversary, honouring camp’s past and preparing for the future.

Be sure to scroll down to see CILT groups from the past! Can you find your crew? If you have any other photos of CILT groups, please send to fun@slmc.ca. We would love to fill in the missing years!

We have currently raised $66,345 towards our goal! Your gift, big or small, could help us reach $60,000!!!

You can donate online quickly and easily here:

Donate Now to the 60th CILT Cabin Campaign!

• Donating online through the above link is the best option for camp! However, we are still happy to accept donations by other ways.
• Cheques can be mailed to: Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, 209-50 Kent Avenue, Kitchener ON N2G 3R1  (*please mark 60th Campaign on your cheque)
• E-transfers can be sent to fun@slmc.ca (no password required)

The Fine Print: Any funds that go above and beyond the goal, will be saved for CILT area improvements and additional building expenses. Due to current high building material costs, it’s expected that the total price to build the CILT cabins will be higher than the original estimate.

Thank you in advance for your support and generosity, not only this year, but over the past 60 years at Silver Lake!

April 7 – Second CILT Cabin Announcement!

At this time, we are thrilled to announce that on behalf of the Henry & Nancy Pauls Family, a generous donation has been made, in the amount of $60,000, to go towards a second CILT Cabin! This special gift, made in memory of Henry, is such a fitting tribute to honour Henry’s legacy and years of service at Silver Lake. (Henry, a long-time Silver Laker, passed away in May 2020.) Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Nancy and the Pauls family for their generosity and continued support of Silver Lake. What a gift to our leadership program and future CILT groups!

Scroll down to see CILT Groups from the Past!

** Attention long lost Silver Lakers! To reconnect with camp or to be added to our Staff Alumni list, please fill out the following…

Fun Data Gathering Form!

1987 CILT 1’s and 2’s plus some staff

1986 some CILT 2’s and staff

2003 CILT 1

2002 CILT 1C

2010 CILT 1A outtrip

2012 CILT 1A

1992 CILT 2’s

1991 CILT’s

1987 CILT 1’s

1988 CILT 1’s

2019 CILT 1’s

2014 CILT 1’s

2015 CILT 2’s

1992 CILT group! Duane & Elinor leaders

199_? CILT Group

2011 CILT Group

2011 CILT group

2011 CILT group!

2011 CILT group

2011 CILT Group

2011 CILT boys

2019 CILT 2’s

The Grand Paddle & Hike 2021 Fundraiser- an Incredible Success!

Silver Lake’s annual fundraiser looked a lot different this year, but that didn’t stop the support from being record breaking! During a year when we couldn’t actually gather together for this event, we never would have imagined surpassing our original goal ($35,000) by such a significant amount. The grand total for funds raised was $54,000! Incredible!

A heartfelt thank you to each participant and each donor for your enthusiasm, your generosity, and your support of Silver Lake, especially this year. The funds raised will go towards summer staff wages and supporting young leaders at Silver Lake.

Check out the gallery below to see photos of some of the families and individuals who hiked/ paddled/ ran/ biked/ and walked to raise funds for Silver Lake on the weekend of May 7-9. A record 35 teams helped to make this fundraiser so successful!

The Grand Paddle & Hike May 8/9, 2021

Click here to donate or participate in this important annual fundraiser!

Make Music with Silver Lake!

Do you sing?  Play an instrument?  Silver Lake needs you!

Calling all friends of Silver Lake to join voices and instruments together.

This is a chance to spread some joy, recording your part in your home, and sending it in to become part of an online music group singing and playing “Oh Silver Lake” and “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant.”

If you are or have been on staff at Silver Lake, we hope you’ll be part of singing “Praise God From Whom” (606/118/ 71) in Silver Lake style (acapella and at a good pace).

Click here to sign up and soon you’ll receive a lead track recording, information about the music and tips on how to best record yourself for these songs.

Recordings must be in by February 26th.

Whether you are/ have been a camper, staff, volunteer, supporter, or camp encourager, your voice matters and we hope to hear you through your instrument or vocal cords!

2021!

Here’s what’s happening at Silver Lake in 2021!

1. Registration for overnight camps and Discovery Day Camp at Silver Lake opens at 7am on February 1. Click here for more information and to register.  No fees will be collected until April 1 at the earliest and a minimum of 2 weeks notice will be given before fees are due.  These camps may not be able to run, but if they can, we’ll be ready!

2.  NEW!  Cabin rentals will be available at Silver Lake this year starting May 2nd.  Click here for more information and to register for as many time slots as you like.  No fees will be collected until April 1 at the earliest and a minimum of 2 weeks notice will be given before fees are due.  Please note that summer cabin rentals (June 27- September 2) may be cancelled if overnight camp is running.

3.  Registration for Silver Lake Adventures Day Camps is open at 14 locations across Ontario.  Click here for more information and to register.   No fees will be collected until April 1 at the earliest and a minimum of 2 weeks notice will be given before fees are due.  Please sign up early if you are interested in a day camp so that we know there is interest in your area.

4. CANCELLED:  May 21-23 Family Camp is cancelled.  Click here to sign up for the March Family Camp Getaway (March 14-20) or family tenting in Monetville on the shores of Lake Nipissing (August 15-21 or 22-28).  Click here to rent a cabin at Silver Lake that weekend or any other available time.

5.  Family Tenting in Monetville:  Click here for more information and to register for a week of family tenting.  Note that Silver Lake Adventures day camp will be running the same weeks and families can register children ages 9-15 for the day camp program.  For questions related to availability of programming for younger children, please contact me.

6.  Silver Lake Sings:  Calling all singers and instrumentalists to be part of Silver Lake Sings.  Click here for more information and to sign up.

7.  Looking for new activities while staying at home?  Click here to play the Silver Lake edition of a game similar to Ticket to Ride and lots of other activities.

Silver Lake at a Church Near You!

Mennonite churches have supported Silver Lake since its story began 60 years ago, so to start the year out right, catch Silver Lake at any of these churches. Church communities have found many new ways of gathering during the pandemic and not all have public services. See the links below for public services or reach out to churches you have connections to.

We hope to see many of you in the weeks ahead!

“Friends of Silver Lake” & “Staff Alumni” Contact Form

Silver Lake is working on an exciting new project to reconnect with Silver Lakers and Past Staff who we may have lost touch with over the years. We need your help!

Click on the form below to read more details and to:

• Confirm your own contact info
• Be added to the “Friends of Silver Lake” mailing list
• Share some details from your time at camp
• Let us know if you are SLMC “Staff Alumni”
• Report a change of email or address

SLMC Contact & Data Gathering Form!