Alumnus Phil Feldman (CivE 5T9) takes a trip down memory lane with a visit to U of T Camp on Gull Lake.
Some 65 years after graduating from U of T with a civil engineering degree, alumnus Phil Feldman (CivE 5T9) made a visit to Camp, thrilling students with his energy and baffling them with old technology.
A pleasant surprise appeared for CivMin students at this year’s Camp 1 on August 14, 2024 when Feldman arrived with Engineering Dean Chris Yip. Feldman eagerly took in the sights as students worked in the field and classrooms, also exploring the new bunkhouse. A highlight was certainly visiting the old, original bunkhouse replete with a century of monuments on the ceiling and rafters.
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 in 1957 we did star shots and sun shots, with calculations in our field book, to figure out our latitude and longitude.”
The now 86-year-old retired school teacher recalls his three-week course, then called Survey Camp, required a great deal of hiking through the woods and canoeing to various locations to complete the assignments. At the time, enrolment was so great, the course was held simultaneously at the Gull Lake location as well as at Dorset. Feldman attended at Dorset, so did not stay in the large, one-room bunkhouse known to most at Camp. Instead, the lodge had two roommates to a room, which he recalled as very comfortable.
After graduation in 1959, Feldman worked as a civil engineer for a few different companies in the Scarborough area, as well as a consulting engineer, before becoming a private contractor. Later, in 1962, there was a large push to hire teachers. He recalls his tutoring experience, along with his skills as an engineer, made him a fantastic candidate to teach science and math. A six-week course in the summer allowed him to begin his career as a public school teacher, following up with a second six-week course the next summer, giving him permanent teaching credentials. A teaching career spanning 33 years saw him begin in Scarborough, move to North York, then finish in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) due to amalgamation.
The octogenarian, who sports a hat emblazoned with “Made in 1937” remarks, “Back in our day there was only four women in all of Engineering. It sure has changed.”
As the balance nears parity in the Faculty, Camp has changed too with new facilities. What was once a large, one-room bunkhouse for only male students has been ameliorated to include new facilities with flexible use spaces. The newer bunkhouse, first opened in 2021, has six separate spaces allowing for greater mix of genders and age groups too, along with greater privacy. The new shower rooms are a decided improvement over what was once a shower hall.
The series of fortuitous events leading to the day at Camp began with Feldman chatting with Dean Yip about Camp. They later met so the alumnus could deliver his field book and some photos from his Survey Camp days. Yip remarked, “Wonderful memories of days past. Really honoured that he has gifted his field book and some photos to the Faculty.” Adding, “What wonderful cursive handwriting. Wow.”
As a result, the pair made a day trip to Camp on Gull Lake with Feldman remarking, “It was a wonderful day for me!”
Before leaving, they joined in a group photo for Camp 1 as part of U of T Camp tradition.
By Phill Snel
Learn more about Camp on the CivMin website