The annual course, CME 358 Civil And Mineral Practicals (CAMP), is fully underway.
Every August sees the annual trek for third-year students in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (CivMin) to the University of Toronto Camp on Gull Lake, near Minden, Ont., some 200 kms northeast of Toronto.
Attending Camp is a time-honoured tradition for CivMin students, with the current annual course, CME358 Civil And Mineral Practicals (aka CAMP) evolving over its century-plus progression. What was a six-week survey camp in 1920, is now a two-week session of three rotations. Currently, the three components offered include: Surveying for Topographic Mapping (Topo), Sustainable Water Systems Analysis (Systems) and Layout for the Construction of a Highway Curve (Highway Curve). August sees two sessions of Camp offered.
Camp is a beloved and integral part of every Civil & Mineral Engineering student’s education. Since the inaugural Camp in September 1920, the program has provided a journey of self-discovery, connections with others, and a creative, innovative environment that complements conventional classroom learning with hands-on experience in the field, enabling students to engage in collaborative exercises to solve challenging engineering problems. Group work in the field in this remote location has provided our students a glimpse of real-world work experience while still in school.
It’s not all work, though. Students thoroughly enjoy swimming and canoeing in their free time, especially in the evenings after dinner as a respite from the hot day in the field. Gull Lake, a long freshwater body of water, provides ample opportunities for a variety of class-related fieldwork and for convivial times.
During Camp 1 (August 4-16) there were a few special visitors. For the first time in her role as Chair, Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou, along with new Professors Trevor Carey and Mohamed Basheer, Director of Student Services Shawn Mitchell, and Mel Duhamel, Director of Technical Services and Operations, visited U of T Camp on Gull Lake to learn more about the territory, the on-site teachings and its traditions.
A surprise visit from Engineering Dean Chris Yip on Wednesday, August 14 saw him accompany alumnus Phil Feldman (CivE 5T9) for a tour. Feldman had his then three-week visit to Survey Camp in August of 1957, but at the Dorset site due to class sizes not allowing everyone at Gull Lake at the same time. Feldman baffled students with his slide rule and marvelled at the newest technology for topographic mapping. As he recalled fewer electronics in his day, “Back then we did star shots and sun shots, with calculations in our field book, to figure out our latitude and longitude.”
Memories of Camp remain strong with our alumni, even some 65 years after graduation. Many return to see the monuments in the form murals, sculptural fixtures or amenities left behind by their graduating year.
By Phill Snel
Learn more on the Camp page on the CivMin website