SUNDRIDGE – Most in the Sundridge area know that Lake Bernard is home to a highly successful camp for girls. Fewer people might be aware that if the Second World War had not come along, there might still be a camp for boys on the other side of the lake.
Just the same, the summer camp Earle Anderson founded exists today as Layolomi Beach Inn.
“A lot of people don’t realize it started as a boys’ camp,” said Jane Anderson, Earle’s daughter.
Earle Anderson founded Layolomi Lodge Boys’ Camp in 1923, on property his father owned.
“It was a year after Ms. Edgar started Glen Bernard,” noted Jane.
The new girls’ camp might have provided some motivation for this new venture, but Jane believes the real inspiration to be her father’s experiences as a teacher in Toronto, and his own local upbringing. Anderson understood the importance of self-reliance and connection with nature, and he saw a need for such opportunities.
A local boy, Anderson went to the city to pursue his education, completing high school and attending McMaster University. When the First World War broke out, he left school to serve in the air force.
“There was no air force in Canada at that time, so he went to Texas to train,” said Jane.
Once trained, Anderson went to England as an instructor. Although he was not a combat pilot, he did experience his share of danger, due to the combination of inexperienced trainees and the relatively new technology of powered flight. Anderson was riding in the back of a biplane with a student at the controls when the craft struck a church steeple, killing the trainee and injuring Anderson sufficiently to send him home – with a metal plate in his head as a souvenir.
“He used to get terrible headaches,” Jane recalls.
Anderson returned to McMaster and completed his studies, then began teaching. Having time off in the summer, he was able to open Layolomi soon after. The camp started out as a modest affair, with new facilities added each year.
“The first camp was under tent, and eventually they built some cottages,” said Jane.
The dining hall was an early addition, with Jane’s grandmother in charge of feeding the campers. Layolomi was very much a family business, with everyone pitching in.
Earle did a significant amount of travelling in those days, promoting the camp around southern Ontario and the northern states. Campers came from far and wide, but Anderson always made sure there was space at the camp for local boys as well.
“There were about 100 to 120 boys per camp,” said Jane.
The campers arrived by railroad coach, and Anderson had an arrangement with CN to stop the trains at the camp for loading and unloading behind the tennis courts.
Tennis was just one of many activities available at Layolomi. Campers went swimming and canoeing, as well as sailing. They made crafts, played games and went on hikes.
Equipped with canoes and tents, they went on extended trips in the Mattawa area, and in Algonquin Park. Closer to the camp, a trail around Lake Bernard provided a good two-day hike.
Evenings at Layolomi were filled with songs, chants, stories and skits, with an Indian council around a bonfire being the high point of the week. Although she was too young to remember much, Jane and her brother, John, would occasionally sneak down from the family cottage in the evening to check things out.
If the moon was full, one of the camp counselors would always conclude the evening by donning a headdress and paddling away in a canoe along the reflected moonlight on the water, creating a dramatic image.
Camp would run for eight weeks, from the beginning of July to the end of August. In 1934, the rates for a four-week and an eight-week stay were $80 and $150 respectively. It might not seem like much today, but in 1934, $150 was not cheap.
“In those days, it would be pretty plush parents who could send you,” said Jane.
When those parents came to visit, they needed a place to stay. Anderson saw to that by opening Ten Gables, which his wife ran while he ran the camp. The timing was perfect, as Ten Gables was ideally situated for the tourist boom started by the Dionne Quintuplets.
The Andersons eventually moved to Sundridge year-round, taking up residence at Ten Gables.
It was the Second World War that spelled the end for Layolomi Lodge Boys’ Camp. Anderson’s staff of able-bodied young men were called elsewhere, leaving his camp without counselors. He closed down for a summer to renovate, re-opening Layolomi the following year as a family resort.
“It was a popular camp, and it was a well run camp,” said Jane. “I think it was really hard for him, but he didn’t have any counselors.”
Soon after the change, Anderson sold the camp.
In addition to the camp proper, the remainder of the land was subdivided and sold.
“A lot of the campers bought pieces,” said Jane. “A lot of children of the Layolomi campers have cottages and come here every summer.”
With Layolomi sold, Anderson could turn his full attention to Ten Gables, which was thriving by that time, and had a potato field out back that offered intriguing possibilities.
“Dad had these dreams of starting a golf course,” said Jane.
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