Survey CAMP: A Department Tradition


Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, Survey Camp is a long-standing Department tradition. After being acquired in 1919, the inaugural student group journeyed 200-kilometres north of Toronto for an unforgettable immersive field educational program in 1920. Today, as many as 200 Civil and Mineral Engineering students annually participate in the CAMP experience to better prepare them for their engineering professions.

After 100 years, the CAMP (Civil And Mineral Practicals)curriculum continues to evolve reflecting the changing requirements necessary for successful, skilled engineers. While surveying remains an important component there is also an emphasis on environmental, social, economic and sustainability leadership – inspiring students to effectively steward our planet now and in the future.

For students who attend CAMP today, the two-week field course consists of three modules: 1) full-scale construction layout for a highway curve; 2) full-scale topographic map development for the CAMP property; 3) water and energy aspects of sustainability and environmental engineering.

As the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering deepens its expertise in hydrology, water chemistry, limnology, and mine tailings reclamation with Professors Jennifer Drake and Lesley Warren, Module 3 is undergoing a significant expansion with investment in ‘Sustainable Water Resources’.

With a generous gift from the Dean’s Strategic Fund, pontoon boats outfitted with a state-of-the-art acoustic doppler water velocity and bathymetric system, a new dock, water sampling equipment, portable spectrophotometers and waterproof temperature and oxygen meters, Guelph Permeameter kits, and other chemistry support packages will enrich the educational outcomes, providing leading-edge student-learning experiences.

These new assets will support a module focused on water management, water quality modelling, and holistic sustainable design. The focus of the module is an assessment of the quantity and quality of water in and around Gull Lake over time, providing data for modelling phosphorous loading modelling eutrophication risks. Student generated outcomes from this module may potentially contribute to the design of future CAMP expansion projects.

100 Years Young
To celebrate CAMP’s Centennial, a $1.5M renovation plan has been approved to update and expand the Gull Lake site. Preserving the 100-year history of CAMP, the plan embodies the historic legacy while providing for our growing needs to educate the next generation of engineers.

Key CAMP Restoration and Renovation Initiatives include:

  • New Bunkhouse Complex: two bunkhouses with a separate bathroom and shower building and student common room, all connected with a covered boardwalk
  • Historic Bunkhouse Conversion: in a second phase of the campaign, the original bunkhouse will be turned into the student hall for lectures, group study and special events
  • Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: improvements and upgrades will be made to accommodate a growing student population
  • Additional Renovations and Repairs: To preserve the CAMP legacy while providing safe space for new students and staff, a number of other projects have already been undertaken to address the staff sleeping quarters, cookhouse, roof replacements, window repairs, foundation work, and the installation of an emergency generator.

These initiatives address vital issues to support CAMP into the future including: providing greater accommodation for female students (who now make up over 40 per cent of the class at camp!) and an increasingly diverse population; provide a living lab for research initiatives, outreach programs and other educational programs during non-CAMP seasons; and protect and preserve the historic legacy of CAMP.

Construction is slated to begin in 2019 and we are approximately 65 per cent towards our $1.5M goal. The University of Toronto has shown its commitment to CAMP by offering a generous matching opportunity. Through this year, all gifts to CAMP will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $750,000.

In the Fall of 2019, we look forward to inviting all supporters, alumni and friends to a Centennial reunion celebration. Please check civmin.utoronto.ca for more information as it is available. Thank you in advance for your consideration and generous contributions. We are built on the unwavering support and donations from Department supporters like you.

 

Special thanks to everyone who has contributed to the campaign for CAMP as of September 5, 2018:

Anonymous
Donald I Amos 5T8
The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors (AOLS)
John Bajc, 8T2
John Donald Barber, 6T2
Beacon Utility Contractors Limited
Robert A Beattie, 5T2
Wayne M Bennett, 6T9
Evan Charles Bentz, 0T0
Devon G and Linda J Biddle, 6T7
John A Bond, 6T8
Kenneth R Brown, 6T9
Buttcon Limited
W Brian Carter, 6T1
Arun Channan, 8T0
Bruce Chown, 5T5
So M Chiang, 0T0
Michael Circelli, 8T3
Classes of Civil 6T0 – 6T5 Campaign for CAMP
Class of Civil 6T8 for CAMP
Class of Civil 8T0 Campaign for CAMP
Class of 0T3 Engineering
Michael Cook, 6T3
Ralph Cowan, 6T8
Richard J J Daigle, 6T9
Ivan Damnjanovic, 1T5
B Michael den Hoed, 7T5
Peter F Di Lullo, 7T8
Vanessa M DiBattista, 1T2
Gregory Dimmer, 8T3
Paul G Douglas, 7T8
Henry N Edamura, 6T0
Marie-Anne Erki, 8T0
Leslie D Ferguson, 0T0
Wayne S Gibson, 8T3
Gordon Gracie, 5T2
Sheri Graham, 9T1
David H Gray, 6T8
Gull Lake Cottager’s Association
Peter Halsall
Heavy Construction Association of Toronto (HCAT)
Walter J Hendry, 6T0
Alvin Ho, 9T8
Vera Y Kan, 0T0
William P Kauppinen, 6T8
Allan M Koivu, 8T6
TetsuoG Kumagai, 6T8
Ross Lawrence, 5T6
Arthur Leitch, 6T9
Robert MacGillivray, 8T5
Scott MacGillivray, 8T2
G Alexander Macklin, 5T5
William V Mardimae, 6T9
Orlando Martini, 5T6
Levana Mattacchione, 1T3
Brenda McCabe, 9T4
Lloyd McCoomb, 6T8
Malcolm McGrath, 5T4
Robert McQuillan, 5T0
Joel Miller, 6T5
Model Railings & Ironworks Inc
Ricky Junji Mori, 6T8
Loui Pappas, 8T8
PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
Kristin Philpot
Rob Piane
Victor Piscione, 7T5
Harold F Reinthaler, 7T7
Peter and Michelle Rhodes, 6T7
Glenn L Rogers
Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada
Barbara Simpson
Amir Hossein Soltanzadeh, 9T5
Starkey & Associates Inc
D Wayne Stiver, 8T0
Emilio A Tesolin, 8T3
Umberto Testaguzza, 8T3
Michael V Thompson, 6T1
Sujitlal Thottarath, 0T6
Diego Tonneguzzo
Paul Walters, 5T6
Arthur H Watson, 7T5
Glen A Weaver, 5T2
Gabriel Wolofsky, 1T7
Gary J Woolgar, 6T1
Victor N Zubacs, 6T9