Camp Ekon also known as Stanley House was a property and resort for

summer camp A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...

s. It was situated on the shore of

Lake Joseph Lake Joseph is located in Seguin Township, Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's mos ...

on Stanley House Road in Rosseau in the township of

Seguin, Ontario Seguin is a township in central Ontario, Canada, in the District of Parry Sound. History The Township of Seguin was created by Minister's Order, dated May 8, 1997. Pursuant to this Order, the Township of Seguin became a newly incorporated munici ...

. It was run by the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

, part of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. The original Stanley House was built in 1888. It burned down in 1921 and was rebuilt a year later. In 1937, the Jesuits moved into the premises. They used it as a location to teach Regis College summer courses, host retreats in

Ignatian spirituality Ignatian spirituality, similar in most aspects to, but distinct from Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic Church, Catholic spirituality founded on the experiences of the 16th-century Spanish Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. The ...

as well as various meetings and conferences.History
from Ekon.ca, retrieved 31 August 2015 On February 4, 2024, a letter was posted on the official Camp Ekon

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account notifying the community that "the Jesuits of Canada have decided to permanently close Camp Ekon henceforth", with the letter citing financial concerns and high operating costs as the main motive for the closure. It is, as of yet, unclear if Camp Ekon or the property will be retained by the Jesuits or if it will be sold.

History

In 1888, W. B. McLean built Stanley House as a hotel. It had towers and was four stories tall. In 1907, it was bought by Edward Leef. In 1910, he sold it to his father-in-law, William Bissonette. In 1921, Stanley House and the surrounding boat house and barn all burnt down in a fire. The following year, the Bissonette family rebuilt the hotel. In 1937, the Jesuits leased the site. In 1941, they purchased it and the surrounding five-acre area for $15,000. In 1953, the Jesuits expanded the property by buying a nearby 1.5 acre garden. In 1971, Camp Ekon was started. Fr. Brian Massie, S.J. was the founder and decided to call it 'Ekon' because that was the name given to Saint Jean de Brébeuf by the

Wyandot people The Wyandot people (also Wyandotte, Wendat, Waⁿdát, or Huron) are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of the present-day United States and Canada. Their Wyandot language belongs to the Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian language f ...

. 'Ekon' means 'the healing tree' and referred to Jean de Brébeuf's height. In 1978, the Diocese of Peterborough donated an old church building, which became the Camp Director's Cottage, with the provision that it not be used for religious services. In 1991, the Jesuits bought the Shore Road Allowance, which previously separated the property from the lake.Concession and Shore Road Allowances
from Seguin Township, retrieved 31 August 2015 In 1993, renovations on the site began. In 1996, the arts studio was finished. Camp Ekon also used 'Little Round Island', which is also known as 'Little Chief'. It is to the south east of the site and is trust for the camp by the Massie family.

Overview

About Camp Ekon, the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'' wrote, "Jesuit in philosophy, Roman Catholic in tradition and public in service, the camp is open to all faiths and culture because there are no boundaries when it comes to leadership,"Camp Ekon puts focus on community building
from ''

'', July 20, 2014, retrieved 31 August 2015 and the motto of the camp was 'looking out for the little guy and carrying the heavy load'.Camp Ekon a family affair on Lake Joseph
from ''

'', July 13, 2012, retrieved 31 August 2015Camp Ekon, where helping the little guy is a family tradition
from ''

'', July 27, 2013, retrieved 31 August 2015

References

External links

Camp Ekon site
{{Jesuits in Canada Buildings and structures in Parry Sound District Hotels in Ontario Houses in Ontario Society of Jesus Ekon, Camp

History

Overview

See also

References

External links