As early as 1881, the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church held “Bush Meetings” in Ontario. This style of Camp Meeting was the predecessor to Christian Camping in Ontario. In 1925, camp sites in Kitchener and Stayner were purchased. The Kitchener site hosted camp meetings for nearly 40 years, after which it was donated to Emmanuel Bible College. The white pine acreage on Scott Street in Stayner was purchased in from the Gartlan Estate for $1500 to become Stayner Camp.
Camp Mishewah is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki and Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin) peoples. Our site on Round lake has a history of camp ministry going as far back as 1955. The property was owned the Middleton Family and operated as Franklin Middleton Memorial Camp, and later as Camp Kirjatharba. In the 1970’s, leaders in the Missionary Church saw the need for additional camp programming with a lakefront property. Pastors from our northern Ontario churches found the property for sale in 1971, with the stipulation that the property must be sold to an Evangelical church group that would operate youth camps. The camp was purchased in 1972, and we ran our first summer as Camp Mishewah in 1973.
