We’ve put answers to the most common questions here.
If your question is not answered, please contact us.
We’re excited to be at our first Presbyterian home! Camp Kintail has excellent facilities to meet PMC’s needs. There is lots more information about Camp Kintail on the Kintail website.
The only difficult part of the decision to locate at Camp Kintail is the distance for many campers. (Although some of the PMC community from the Ottawa area think it’s worth the drive.)
Yes. Cell service is good at Camp Kintail, although some areas (and some carriers) are better than others.
Camp Kintail has free Wifi available throughout the site. Once again, some areas are better than others.
Camp Kintail is open for 10 months of the year and hosts lots of events. PMC 2024 is scheduled for Sunday-Friday to accommodate a wedding celebration that is already booked for August 24. Starting in 2025, PMC will be 6 days, Sunday to Saturday.
150 people at PMC means a lot of households represented. This makes planning sleeping accommodations very challenging. It’s becoming clear that, with the current demographics, 150 is about the limit.
We have found that with a camp community of more than about 150 people it is difficult to get to know everyone.
The Covid protocols will be updated for 2024 and will be included in the Camper Guide. Please follow the vaccination protocol that is recommended for you and plan on testing before arriving at camp. Further information will be in the Camper Guide (link to follow when the Camper Guide is ready).
Camp Kintail has a state of the art water treatment system that includes chlorination. The water is tested daily to ensure that it meets all Ontario water legislation. Water testing and monitoring is by the same company that is responsible for the Town of Goderich.
For the most part, yes! Your camper fees include all meals at camp. The only exception is afternoon tuck, when a variety of snacks and drinks are available for purchase. All proceeds from tuck go to the Alison Stewart-Patterson fund.
YES! Camp Kintail’s chef has a great reputation, and meals generally include a few options, so even the pickiest eaters should be satisfied! In addition, Kintail has an on-site garden that supplies some of their produce, and the dining hall has coffee, tea, and juice available at all times.
Yes. Camp Kintail is nut-free, so we ask that guests not bring food containing nuts/nut products onto the site. Please bring an animal-proof container if you’re planning on keeping any food in your living area. There are fridges in Harmony House and The Nest if you don’t have a fridge in your room.
Yes. The kitchen staff are used to dealing with different allergies and dietary needs with their summer camps and other rental groups, so they should be able to keep you well fed through the week.
If you have dietary needs please note them on your registration form, or contact the Registrar to discuss your needs further. If you have very severe food allergies or multiple dietary restrictions and wish to bring some of your own food, please do that. There may be a fridge in your room; if not, there are fridges available in The Nest kitchen, and in the Harmony House kitchen.
The PMC Board has a Camp Liaison who will assist with any issues or concerns that arise at camp. Note that Camp Kintail is a nut-free facility.
There are several different styles of accommodation at Camp Kintail, all of which are clean, well-maintained and wheelchair accessible.
We do our best to assign one family to a dwelling; however, due to limited space it may be necessary for some families to share. We try to assign shared spaces to families who either know each other well or have asked to share.
There are bunk beds in all styles of accommodation. The registration form will ask for details about your willingness to use a top bunk.
There are bunk beds in all styles of accommodation. The registration form will ask for details about your willingness to use a top bunk. This information will help the Registrar assign your accommodation.
Camp Kintail has informal parking spots for RVs and trailers outside MacDonald Lodge. These parking spots have household 110V electrical hookups available; you will need to bring your own extension cords. Potable water is available from an outdoor tap at the back of the Lodge. If you plan to bring your trailer, please note that there is no sewer, but a dump site is located about 20-30 minutes away from the camp.
If you’re under age 13 (and won’t turn 13 before the end of the calendar year), then yes, you will need to stay with the parent or guardian who is with you at camp. For campers aged 13 and up we have male and female cabins available for singles of various ages and stages.
Washrooms are in several locations around camp – you are within a couple of minutes of the nearest washroom:
| Location | Washroom | Shower |
| MacDonald Lodge | Male Female Gender-neutral | Male Female Gender-neutral |
| The Nest | Male Female Gender-neutral | Male Female Gender-neutral |
| Harmony House | Gender-nuetral | |
| Cabin Hill | Male Female |
MacDonald Lodge has a few options for washrooms and showers:
And The Nest has options for washrooms and showers:
Yes! Great care has been taken in recent years to ensure that all of Camp Kintail’s buildings, cabins, and activities are fully wheelchair accessible.
There are accessible washrooms and showers, and ramps everywhere.
Yes. There are 4 washing machines and 4 dryers in MacDonald Lodge.
Camp Kintail has a variety of sports activities available. Some of these are self-directed, and some require Camp Kintail staff for safety.
| Self-directed | Kintail Staff Required |
| Disc golf | Slide |
| Corn hole | Archery |
| Hiking trails | Climbing wall |
| Gaga ball | Swimming / boating |
| Basketball | High ropes / tower |
| Zip line |
There are 2 kitchens for campers
There is also an outdoor Chapel and a Labyrinth.
The PMC program includes a wonderful variety of morning and evening programs for the whole camp community, five workshop periods during the day to meet smaller groups of people and learn new things, and free time to relax and socialize. Please see the This Year page for the current schedule.
No. Some campers like to sign up for 5 workshops and have a busy day, other campers take just a few of their favourite workshops, and some campers come just to enjoy being in the natural setting and spending time with friends and family.
It depends. Some workshops like crafts are designed as drop-ins or scheduled for just a couple of days. Many of the workshops, particularly those that involve learning music as a group, are designed to build experience each day. For everyone’s enjoyment of these workshops, it’s important to have the same group working consistently together all week. You can talk to your workshop leader if you have questions about this. Of course, if you sign up for a workshop and find that it isn’t the right fit after one or two days don’t force yourself to stay; this just means you’ll end up with a free period, which isn’t always the worst thing! See the This Year page for details on the workshops.
We encourage all campers to participate in order to get the full PMC experience and integrate into our community, and there are opportunities for participation, observation, cheering section, or whatever else you want. However, attendance at camp-wide activities is not mandatory. If you chose not to attend a camp-wide scheduled activity, we do ask that you not create a disruption for those who are taking part.
There are lots of activities for our younger campers.
Each morning, a child-minding program is available for ages up to 5, with music, games, and other activities. For ages 6-12 there is children’s choir and children’s games. Parents have a chance to participate in other workshops in the morning (or just hang out).
In the afternoon, there are a number of beginner-level workshops, crafts, and swimming to keep everyone busy. Some afternoon children’s or beginner-level workshops may have an age requirement or request for an adult companion - please see the This Year page for details, or check with the workshop leaders at the start of camp.
If your child is not in a workshop, they are your responsibility.
We try our best to make sure everyone feels welcome and has fun at PMC. When we fall short, we do our best to fix it. The Camp Deans and members of the Board are always available to help anyone in the community. Please read the Welcome Statement for more PMC thoughts on inclusion and belonging.
Absolutely. PMC’s community is diverse in this way (and many others). See the Welcome Statement for more on this.
Yes! If a camper has needs that require specialized assistance (such as a full-time caregiver) they will need to bring someone to camp with them to help, and that person will need to register and pay for PMC. Bursaries may be available to help cover the cost of a care-giver for a camper with special needs. Contact our Registrar for more information.
Yes. Both PMC and Camp Kintail are fully inclusive. Love is love (and gender-neutral washrooms and showers are available).
While most of our workshops are music-focused we do have several options every day that are non-musical as well, so don’t let this stop you from coming! For our musical workshops we offer a variety of skill levels, so everyone from beginners to advanced musicians will have somewhere that they fit in. See the This Year page for details of this year’s schedule, and the Welcome Statement for more details about musical ability (or the lack thereof).
Not to toot our own horns, but we are very welcoming! Everyone was a new camper at one time, whether they came with a parent or friend or just thought PMC sounded great and came by themselves. We do our best to help new campers feel at home in our community.
Yes. Information about our bursary funds, as well as guidance on how to apply, is available on the Register page.
There are a few ways to donate to PMC
If you need assistance with your donation, contact the Treasurer.
PMC is a registered charity. You will receive a tax receipt at the end of the year for your donation(s).
Yes!
A few years ago, a group of PMC campers were sitting on the beach doing a variety of activities with their hands: mending clothes, sewing, crocheting, embroidering, sketching, painting, corking, and cross-stitching. This was the start of Create and Relate.
During the planning for the first year of virtual camp, these people asked to have their time together placed in the schedule—someplace—anyplace. The result was so enjoyable that the group decided to meet online once a month—and it now meets each month, except in August and occasionally in December. The people still come and go as they please and the activities are still changing and increasing in diversity.
For 2023-2024, we meet on the third Wednesday evening of each month, 7:00-9:00, on Teams. The reminder and link are put on our Facebook page, on Discord (yes, this group still uses Discord), and on the PMC calendar, or you can just click on the Teams link above. Any PMCer can join. We’d love to see you. Contact MJ Perry if you want more information.