CHAPTER 1: Travel Arrangements

BUSES

Please be at the buses 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure.  The sooner we get to camp, the sooner the fun can begin!  Please note that for first/full session campers, the bags go to camp in advance of the departure day.

A reminder not to send any foods containing nuts on the bus!

SEATING REQUESTS:

Buses will be boarded, from Toronto by age group.  We can however arrange for a sibling to sit with another sibling if you prefer.  If you would like to make a sibling seating request for the bus, you must CALL US WELL IN ADVANCE to make the arrangements.

DRIVING DROP-OFFS AND PICK-UPS

We do not encourage parents to drop-off their kids as we feel part of the camp experience is taking the bus to and from camp.  However we realize that there are times when people may decide to drop-off and pick-up their child(ren).

If you are driving your child(ren) to camp, it is critical that for First Session drop-offs you arrive at 11:00 a.m.  If you arrive before 11:00 am you must wait until a staff person gives you permission to enter camp! For Second Session, the drop-off time is 4:00 pm. For pick-ups you should arrive between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.  Please call the office when you reach McKellar so that we can have staff at the gate to greet you!

 OUT-OF-TOWN CAMPERS

BOOKING FLIGHTS

Out-of-towners fly directly to Lester B. Pearson International Airport – Toronto (with baggage) on regularly scheduled flights. Customs clearance is handled in Toronto upon arrival and departure. Our staff will be waiting just outside the baggage area to greet them, and to help with their bags. Chartered buses will whisk them to camp from there. Our buses will depart with supervisory staff approximately every 2 hours beginning around 11:00 A.M. through 2:00 P.M. from the arrivals level at Terminals 1 and 3. Parents are responsible for their own child’s flight plans and should therefore book their tickets early in order to get the lowest airfare available and ensure a space is available on the flight of your choice.

NOTE: If you have friends or family in the Greater Toronto Area, we highly recommend your child(ren) flying in the night before and staying with them in Toronto. This way they can take the bus up to camp the next day. Your child’s bags can be brought to the bus. For many of you this may not be an option but if this works, we highly recommend it!

Arrival and Departure Window: Make sure that the arrival time at Toronto is before 2:00PM and that departure time from Toronto is no earlier than 1:00 P.M. and no later than 5:00 P.M. (between 1:30 P.M. and 3:30 P.M. would be ideal).

Send your child with their Manitou travel pouch which should include:Your child’s passport, ticket/e-ticket, $40 emergency money for the airport (to be kept in office and not in camper cabin), and a permission letter from parent authorizing your child to travel on their own (see sample on site in parent resources/forms section). If sending a cellphone for air travel, it must be clearly labelled with your child’s name. A reminder not to send any foods containing nuts for the trip! If your child carries an EpiPen the airline will not allow him/her to board the plane without a note from a doctor, for security reasons.

Optional Private Limousine Service: If you wish to have your child driven from the airport by a private Limousine to limit wait time at the airport, please contact Jenny at the office at 416-322-5888 to arrange. The cost of this service is approximately $800.00.

Bedding, towels etc. will be provided for campers who are travelling from outside North America as baggage restrictions when flying internationally will not allow for extra bags.

Please fill out the TRANSPORTATION FORM with flight details on our portal https://manitoucamp.campbrainregistration.com

UNACCOMPANIED MINOR SERVICE

We recommend sending your child as an “Unaccompanied Minor”. Most airlines require you to register as an unaccompanied minor if the child is under 16 years old on a direct flight. This is mandatory for children less than 14 years of age on the return portion of the trip and will be charging you the fee applied by the airlines. This means the airline will take responsibility for your child from the time you check them in until we meet them upon their arrival (and the same upon their return). Leaving Toronto, your child once checked in, must pass through customs if leaving Canada. OUR STAFF ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER THE CUSTOMS/WAITING AREA. The Unaccompanied Minor service gives them special attention and supervision every step of the way, and also gives them special seating arrangements. Keep in mind that when booking an unaccompanied minor, the airline expects you to wait at the airport until your child’s plane has taken off. Our staff will, of course, do the same in Toronto as a safety measure. This service is only available on direct flights now with most airlines.