Camp Walden begins as soon as campers get on the bus. The ride out to camp is a time for campers to make new friends, or catch up with old ones. Our counsellors are along for the journey to make sure first time campers are reassured and comfortable, and that everyone is ready to arrive at camp.
Camp Walden provides chartered bus transportation to and from camp from three major surrounding cities. If you’re planning on using our buses for drop-off and pick-up service select your nearest city from the following options for more details.
Remember to promptly complete the Transportation Request Form—part of your Spring Information Form — to ensure that there is adequate seating for all campers on the bus to and from camp.
To ensure your camper’s baggage arrives to camp safely, we provide specifically coloured baggage tags with your camper’s name, unit, departure city, and arrival city on them. Please ensure that the correct tags are placed on bags, particularly when there is more than one camper in a family.
“Baggage always travels on the same day as the campers, except for Day 1 campers–their baggage travels two days before!”
York University – Keele Campus
7934 Founders Road
Wednesday, June 28th, 2023
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
York University – Keele Campus
7934 Founders Road
Buses will be leaving at 9:00 am sharp, so please arrive no later than 8:30 am. Follow Walden signage to get to our allocated parking lots.
Campers and baggage return by bus on their scheduled day between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm. Walden Long Weekend campers should visit the event page for full transportation details. Make sure that you follow the Walden Busses signage that will direct you to our allocated parking lots.
“Each destination city will have different arrival times. Of course traffic is also always a factor. We plan to leave camp at 10 am and it generally takes just over: 2 hours to get to Ottawa, 3 hours to get to Toronto, and 4 hours to get to Montreal although there have been times when the busses have taken much longer.
A NOTE FOR TORONTO ONLY: If Toronto families want to certainly be there when the bus arrives, they should arrive at 1 pm and be prepared to wait. Don’t worry, we will never leave campers unattended. Some families like to collect their camper’s baggage as early as 11:15 am. Some even take it home and do a first load of laundry BUT please do not attempt to pick up camper baggage before 11:15 am.”
Quartier Cavendish Mall (parking lot behind the Cineplex theatre)
5800 Boul Cavendish
Buses will be leaving from the west parking lot and will depart at 8:00 am sharp, so please make sure campers arrive no later than 7:30 am.
All campers and their baggage returning to Montreal will arrive by bus between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm.
Campers from Ottawa will be provided with specially arranged transportation to camp. We will not be using our past departure spot, the Pinecrest parking lot, instead arranging for pick-ups at your home or at a nearby location between 9:00 am and 10:00 am. Families will be contacted individually once our route is determined.
All campers and their baggage returning to Ottawa will be dropped off at home or at a pre-arranged location between 12pm and 1pm. Families will be contacted once the route has been determined.
“Don’t worry! Any camper who expresses that they don’t feel well on bus rides will be offered a dose of Gravol before getting on the bus from camp! (15 mg chewable tablet or 5 mls of the liquid).”
For campers travelling over the border unaccompanied by a parent or guardian, it is recommended that they carry a notarized letter signed by both the parents/guardians and Camp Walden. We have forms available for downloading below.
Families should check with airlines about boarding your child as an unaccompanied minor. On most airlines it is mandatory for children ages 5–11 to use an Unaccompanied Minor service. This is sometimes optional for children aged 12-17. Children under 12 without Unaccompanied Minor service are often required to be accompanied by an adult aged 16 or older.
Please inform us in writing of the service you have arranged.
All campers traveling from outside of Canada should bring a passport. We will collect the passport and keep it for safekeeping as soon as your child is met by our staff at the airport.
Download and complete this form for your camper to carry while travelling to Canada alone. You can also request a hard copy by calling the camp office. Please notify us as soon as possible if you require a letter from us.
For more information, visit the Government of Canada website.
If you’re driving your campers to Walden, please arrive between 11:00am and 12:00pm and sign in at the office upon your arrival.
New to Walden? Have a look at our Information Sessions or find out about our Discovery Programs.
Already registered? Make sure to fill out our Spring Registration Form so we have all of your up-to-date information.