Canoe Island French Camp

Canoe Island French Camp (CIFC) offers children ages nine to sixteen the opportunity to learn the French culture while participating in traditional camp activities. The camp is located on Canoe Island in the San Juan Islands in Washington state. CIFC capitalizes on its secluded island location by keeping session sizes to about 45 campers. Canoe Island is accredited by the American Camp Association and is a member of the Western Association of Independent Camps. CIFC is a non-profit organization.

The camp was founded in 1969 by Dr. Warren Austin and his wife Florence Heath Horton Austin, as they had a deep interest in the French culture and child development. They wanted to send their daughter to a French camp, but there were none on the West Coast, so they started CIFC on Orcas Island. The camp moved to Canoe Island in 1975.

Canoe Island is a 47-acre private island in the San Juans, in Upright Channel between the islands of Shaw and Lopez. Many campers arrive by ferry, though some do arrive by sea plane or by private boat. Campers flying in from out-of-town unaccompanied can be met by counselors at SeaTac airport and transported to camp for an extra charge of $150.

Facilities include a heated swimming pool, a small lake and gazebo, tennis court (with rackets and balls), sports field, archery range, fire ring, more than two miles of trails, a dock, and several beaches. Campers dine in the "Maxim's", have access to a two-story "bibliothèque", or library, filled with French and English stories and reference books, and "Le Ritz", a game room with a ping pong and foosball tables. French Cuisine classes are held in "Malmaison" guest house, as well as the kitchen in the Ritz. Theater classes are held in the "Théâtre", modeled after Amerindian Longhouses, equipped with costumes and a stage. "L'Atelier", or art barn, is where students can participate in art classes and make projects for theme day and other events. Canoe island has several motorboats, sailboats, canoes, and plenty of kayaks for boating activities, as well as fencing swords and protective equipment for fencing class.

Campers stay in canvas tipis on platforms, equipped with cots and matresses, electricity, and storage boxes, with 3-4 other campers and a counselor. The tipis are located in main camp, although 3 tipis used to be located across the sports field. These three tipis, commonly referred to as "Siberia", usually housed the oldest female campers, providing more privacy and seclusion, and have since been replaced with two small cabins that house the camp's assistants during the summer. Campers share bathrooms, and have cubbies in which to store their toiletries. They also have access to an outhouse, located in the main camp area.

...
Wikipedia