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Canoe Island is a 47-acre private island in the center of the San Juans in Upright Channel between Shaw and Lopez islands. The ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor goes by the southern corner of the island.

Canoe Island Map (pdf)

Aerial photos of Canoe Island.

Arrival by ferry

Parents driving their children to camp take I-5 north from Seattle or south from Vancouver BC or Bellingham to Exit 230 towards Anacortes. The ferry terminal is a few miles past the town of Anacortes at the end of Highway 20 and is well signed.

Parents can accompany their children on the ferry to Orcas island or send them unaccompanied where they will be  met by our counselors as they walk off the ferry. The counselors will take them to the camp's 27-foot landing craft, the Ferry Queen, located on the adjacent public dock.  If you want to accompany your child on the ferry, walk on the ferry to save a long wait in the car line. Arrive at least 1/2 hour prior to departure to park your car and buy the ferry ticket.  If you plan to take your car on the ferry you may need to arrive up to 2 hours in advance and you will need to contact the Camp Director to make drop off arrangements.  Contact Washington State Ferries for more information on the ferries and a current schedule: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/ or (800) 84-FERRY.

Campers should arrive on Orcas Island on a morning ferry to be in time for lunch and afternoon activities at camp.  Because of the limited space on our boat, we must ask parents to say good-bye to their children on Orcas Island as they board the boat to Canoe Island.  Parents who wish to see the camp are encouraged to visit during Open House in June.

You can also travel by shuttle service from SeaTac Airport or downtown Seattle to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal: BellAir Shuttles, www.airportershuttle.com, 866.235.5247; or Island Airporter, www.islandairporter.com, 360.378.7438.

Arrival by water taxi

There are also water taxis which can transport you directly from Anacortes to Canoe Island. Contact Island Express for more information: www.islandexpresscharters.com, 1-877-473-9777, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Paraclete Charter Service: www.paracletecharters.com , 360-293-5920.

Arrival by air

SeaTac International Airport is the closest large airport to the San Juan Islands.  Parents bringing their children to camp who are flying in to SeaTac Airport can either rent a car and follow the driving directions above to the ferry terminal, or take one of the shuttles listed above. Any child traveling alone will be met by the camp boat for the trip to Canoe Island.

Unaccompanied campers flying into SeaTac can be met by Canoe Island staff and accompanied via a shuttle service to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal and on to Canoe Island. The fee for this extra service is $150 per child for the round-trip. If you wish this service, schedule a  flight arriving prior to 11 am and a flight departure after 3:30 pm.

For quicker transportation from SeaTac Airport to Orcas Island, campers can take one of the small shuttle planes.

• Kenmore Air (www.kenmoreair.com or 800.543.9595 or from Seattle at 425.486.1257) flies seaplanes from Lake Union in Seattle to Fisherman's Bay, Lopez Island. Flights take about 1 hour. Free shuttles are available from SeaTac Airport to Kenmore's Lake Union terminal.

• San Juan Air (www.sanjuanairlines.com or 800.874.4434) flies from Bellingham and Anacortes to the Eastsound, Orcas Island, airport.

Arrival by boat

Families in the area can bring their children to our boat dock on the west side of Canoe Island by noon of the first day and pick them up by noon of the last day.  Please contact us to arrange arrival and departure times.

Each summer young adults from France or other Francophone countries are selected to come to Canoe Island to teach French and share information about their home.  These staff members come with the highest recommendations from respected agencies that interview them, check references, do background checks and guarantee their respectability.  Together with French-speaking counselors from the US (who we personally interview, check references and do background checks on), they form an energetic, enthusiastic and fun team to provide care and nurturing for your child.  Each counselor has at least one other area of expertise - fencing, sailing, theater, French cuisine, photography, kayaking, archery, music, or art.  CPR-trained lifeguards oversee all swimming and boating activities. Counselors are at least 18 and have had at least one year of college.  Many of the counselors were Canoe Island campers themselves and know what will make the camp experience memorable for your child.

A registered nurse reviews all health forms, safely stores and dispenses campers' medications, and oversees the health and welfare of all. Paramedic services and physician-staffed medical clinics are available within 15 minutes on the major, ferry-served islands, and area hospitals are 20 minutes away via medivac helicopter.

Our Year Round Staff

Directors

Island Caretaker

Ben Straub, originally from Eastern Pennsylvania, is a part of the year round staff of Canoe Island French Camp. Ben brings fine technical and mechanical skills to most applications of construction, woodworking, metal working and manufacturing. Before coming to Washington, he produced and sold museum-quality kaleidoscopes and wooden accessories that were represented in approximately 130 galleries nationwide. Ben has been involved with two philanthropic efforts in South America. Addy lives on Canoe Island and is a three-years-old, Red Merle Australian Shepherd. She is very sweet and well behaved and can typically be found by Ben's side. Addy likes boat rides, playing frisbee, walks around the island, running on the beaches and watching otters. 2009 was her first year at camp and she LOVED it, she looks forward to all of the campers and families returning to the island, so that she can show off the new tricks she's learned during the winter.

2013 Summer Staff
	Eden Cooke - Program Coordinator Salut tout le monde! As many of you may know I'm a long time Canoe Islander, but I'm also currently studying Illustration at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, BC.When I'm not drawing or painting I enjoy practicing my French time with some Francophone Vancouver (a club which usually involves sampling French foods). I also enjoy traveling, I've made it an annual practice to visit our past Canoe Island counselors in France (they make the best hosts).  But more than anything I love being on Canoe Island, a place that's filled with never ceasing activities; my three favorites are plein air painting, fencing and night kayaking.  Let's be honest I'm counting the days until summer, I'm so excited for another season on Canoe.
	Patrice Albert-Thenet  - Counselor Salut tout le monde ! This year will be my second summer at Canoe and not a day has gone by since my departure in 2012 where I haven’t thought about heading back to the little slice of heaven nestled away in the dreamy north-west of America. I am 23 years of age and just graduated with a BSc- Nutrition. I spent my final semester in Montréal to take up my French studies again while enjoying the realisation of 5 years of hard work and daydreaming. I studied French for about 6 years and grew up as part of a Mauritian family just south of Sydney. I am currently in Argentina and will be country hopping around South America before I go to Europe for a few months and then back to Canoe for the summer! I love to read to stay sharp and I have been amassing a little library of French literature to bring back to Canoe (I am reading Le Comte de Monte Cristo at the moment). I love to play Frisbee and I also enjoy getting outdoors and keeping active. I really try to enjoy the little things in life to try and keep everyday interesting where I can learn something new and learn to appreciate this great world of ours. I look forward to seeing you all again this summer! À bientôt!
	Joan Palmiter Bajorek - Counselor Bonjour Tout le Monde! This will be my first summer at camp and I can’t wait to share it with you. I’m from Portland, Oregon and am graduating this year from the University of Washington with degrees in French and Photography. I’m very passionate about French, the beautiful language that I teach and tutor here in Seattle in addition to being the President of UW French Club. Most often, you’ll see me with camera or guitar in hand as I love music and will be the photography instructor this summer! The darkroom is a magical place. In my spare time, I enjoy running, singing, swimming, cooking, doing yoga, and meeting people from around the world. A Bientôt!
	Brett Bankson - Counselor Salut mes amis! This will be my first summer at Canoe Camp, and as a native Washingtonian I’m oh so jazzed to work in the San Juan Islands. I will have just returned from my semester abroad in Nantes when camp starts, so this will be like France round two for me. I think that the chance to live in a different country and gain understanding of a global culture is important and valuable for everyone, especially youth. Currently, I’m finishing up my second year at university where I study Psychology, Neuroscience, and French. Languages, traveling, food, and gardens are my not-guilty pleasures and I hope to spread the French appreciation of dining to campers this summer. Staying at Canoe Camp is a unique opportunity and I’m looking forward to learning, sharing, and growing with the campers and staff this summer.
	Michael Cunningham - Counselor Michael Cunningham returns "home" this summer to Canoe Island. Native of Durham, NC, he holds the record for most sessions spent as a camper. Michael attends Middlebury College in snowy Vermont where he majors in International and Global Studies. Out of class, he sings with "The Bobolinks" a cappella ensemble, rows with the college crew team, choreographs for "On Tap" tap ensemble, and participates in musicals - most recently Into the Woods. Michael is most interested by language and culture, so it will come as no surprise how excited he is to be teaching both this summer!
	Leïla Hadjari - Counselor Bien le bonjour futurs amis !  This summer 2013 will be my first on Canoe Island and I can’t wait to get in this cheerful world! I am coming from Northern France, from Lille exactly. I will share with you the well-known affection and goodness of the Northern French people.   My mother used to teach French at school, so I inherited her teaching heat and skills. I studied English, German and Chinese at University, and Psychology as well. Since my childhood I have practiced a lot of different sports such as fencing, ridding, swimming, climbing, boxing, dance, gym, badminton… No please, I am not hyperactive! ;) It will be a great pleasure to share all of this with your children. See you there soon !
	Marisa Ikert - Counselor Salut les amis! I’m incredibly excited to come back to Canoe Island for my second summer as a counselor and journal instructor. My first experience on the island was in 2007 as a camper, and I’ve been enamored with the French language and the beautiful San Juan Islands ever since. I’m a Portland, OR native, but I spend most of the year in Walla Walla, WA as a French major at Whitman College. This year I had the opportunity to live in La Maison Française, a French-themed interest house, and helped put on programs promoting French language and culture on campus. I’ve also kept myself busy through choir, an editing job on the school newspaper, and volunteering at local elementary and preschools. I can’t wait to meet new friends, see old faces, and discover the adventures that will be in store for us this summer!
	Ismael Moulay - Counselor Hey bonjour tout le monde !!! My Name is Ismaël ( but you can call me Isma ) I'm 24 years old, and I'm living in Lille ( north of France.) I coming back this summer for my second year on Canoe Island, I don't know if you are like me but I can't wait until this summer. I had so much fun with all of you last year, and next summer will be better I have a lot of new activities ideas for you !! I'm on Canoe Island at this moment, and you will be impress with all the work done here. I really want you to see that ! Like last year, I will teach tennis, guitar, archery, and of course French !!!
	Blandine Rayon - Counselor Bonjour, bonjour! I am Blandine, I live in Angers, a beautiful city in the west of France. I study languages, literature and economics at university. I enjoy cooking, running, laughing, doing crafts, and playing music. I have been playing the flute for 6 years and I am now learning the guitar (“Aux Champs-Elysées” is actually my anthem, as it is the first and last song I learned on the guitar!). I also love meeting people from different backgrounds and the best way I have found to do it so far is traveling!  I have already been counselor several times in France but it will be my first summer at Canoe Island.  My rucksack and I are ready to take the plane that will bring us to the United States, to live the great adventure of Canoe Island French Camp! I am really looking forward to seeing you there! A très vite!

The unique architecture and ambiance of Canoe Island French Camp make a comfortable setting for your stay.

Canoe Island French Camp was founded in 1969 by the late Dr. and Mrs. Warren Austin when they could not find a French camp on the west coast for their daughter.  First established for just a few weeks each summer on Orcas Island, the French Camp moved to the Austin's beautiful new facility on the 47-acre Canoe Island located just off the southern shore of Shaw Island.  The Austins continued to play a vital role in the camp's mission, program, finances and publicity until their deaths in 1990s. 

Read what campers from this summer have been saying about their experience:

Dear Connie and Joseph,

To begin, I don’t think I could thank you enough for making this, by far, the most amazing three weeks of my life. I can honestly say that I have never been as accepted, welcomed, and happy in any other place than in Canoe.

I remember when I first arrived. I was so excited and nervous. This was such an adventure and such a risk for me. I reached out of my comfort zone (which I don’t tend to do often) and flew across the United States, alone, and came to a camp that I didn’t even know existed, until about 3 months before I arrived. When I googled French Camps this was the first link that came up. I looked at the pictures and I knew immediately that this camp was for me.

My first friend kept on attempting to explain how magical a place Canoe was, and how special it really was. At first, I could not understand how a camp could be so special to anyone, but not much later I completely understood what she meant.

I think one of the things that made this camp so unbelievably special was the people. I have never met such an amazing group of people, especially the animateurs. They made me feel so welcome. As the days went on and I got to know them better I came to realize that they were such amazing role models. Especially the frenchies! They made camp so incredible! I will never forget them.

Every day at camp, I was thrilled to be doing so many things that I would have never done it my life if I was not on the most amazing place on earth. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I love, love, loved swimming around the island with Maxence, Kimberly, and Kallan. I was also ecstatic to learn how to fence. It had always been a dream of mine. I also loved the French cuisine classes, as well as the sailing, canoeing, camping under the starts, snorkeling and everything else we did on the incredible island.

I want to let you know that a day does not go by where I don’t think about camp. I try to explain my love towards Canoe to my friends and family but I don’t think they understand. I think my friends have gotten tired of me telling them camp stories! Everything seems to relate back to camp. I listen to camp songs every single day at least 10 times a day and reflect back on all the incredible times, and all the amazing people I met and will never forget.

At Canoe, I learned so much French! I realized when I came home I knew how to ask and say things in French that I did not know before. Canoe created this love inside of me for French culture. Thanks to Canoe I have made it my goal to be fluent in French and hopefully be able to study there when I am older. When I am in French class in school I put so much effort into it now than I did last year before camp because I am so determined to get better at the language!

Thank you for EVERYTHING! And making this summer the best summer of my life!

Sophia Koolik, 2012

Dear Connie and Joseph,

Now that a week has passed since camp ended, it gave me time to ruminate and collect my thoughts regarding my experience of camp. I have to say that those three weeks on magical Canoe Island were some of the best weeks of my life so far. I truly felt happy for the first time in years. Not happy because of an achievement at school or sports, but happy to be alive and part of a huge family!  Going to Canoe gave me a three week mental vacation from the stress of next school year. I will be a junior next year, seventeen years old, and I will be taking all Advanced Placement classes. The sheer joy of not having to worry about summer homework and the relief from hard questions/study allowed me to relax, loosen up, and finally became social to the other campers. Like you, Joseph, who said on the biking trip, “we stick together like a pod of Orcas,” I felt upon leaving the Island that I was leaving behind 44 brothers and sisters. Everyday, I felt excited to tackle on the day’s activities, and the amount of structured activities in the day made me feel like a more productive person. Watercolors in le chateau was so peaceful and serene, and the outings were magical, especially with the scenery on Cypress Island. I also enjoyed very much the incorporation of French culture and language from all the members of the staff, including the ones from Lille. I also enjoyed the absence of my previous need to check up on m social networks or text messages every hour. Making friendship bracelets, playing sports on the sports field, or paddling in the calm, blue-green waters of the Sound helped to ease my vice from technology. This camp has provided and given so much to me, that I would gladly volunteer next year to give back to a most wonderful community of friends and family. Not only would I fill in required hours to graduate, but I would feel like I was a true help to the maintenance of the camp itself. I wish you all the best for the next sessions and I will hopefully hear from you guys soon! Take care,

Cheyenne Gauntt

A message from Canoe Island French Camp's founder, the late Dr. Warren Austin

When I was young, as World War I was ending, I used to read every book in the little lumber-town library at Cosmopolis, Washington. One of my golden discoveries was a series of "Twin" books: in each of these the author would reveal a new country to me through the eyes and adventures of a set of twins, always a boy and a girl. My favorite book was "The French Twins," (although "The Belgian Twins" was a close second). Right then and there, I decided that, outside my own country, the French, especially the children, were the most wonderful people in the world. I marveled at their courage, their fierce loyalty to their country, their charming manners, customs and traditions. And best of all, they could speak that beautiful, musical language, French! Thus began my love affair with the French.

Board of Directors

A Board of Directors is actively involved in overseeing and supporting the operation of Canoe Island French Camp to help insure program and facility quality and safety.

	Chris Oliva, President Christopher Oliva, is the Pharmacy Services Manager for Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Jose, CA.  He also held several positions within the organization, including Pharmacy Operations Manager and Drug Education Coordinator. Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 1992, Chris was the Cost Containment Clinical Specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Palo Alto, California, and Visiting Clinical Pharmacy Instructor at the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy. He has published articles, made numerous presentations and appeared on multiple nationally televised medical health news segments.   Chris has been involved with Canoe Island French Camp since summer of 1976. He started as a camper and served in the following positions between 1976 and 1984: Kitchen Staff, CILT, CIT, Counselor, Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor, Waterfront Director, Camp Nurse, Assistant Program Director and Program Director. He is the first alumnus to have sent his two children as campers in 2004 and 2005.
	Laura Sommers, Vice-President Laura Sommers has been a member of the Canoe Island French Camp Board of Directors since 2002.  Her involvement with the camp dates to the 1980’s when her Mother, Marge “Skipper” Wintersteen was the director.  She lives and works in Seattle, where she is the owner of Espresso Supply. The parent of two camper alumni, Isaac and Olivia, she has enjoyed seeing the organization, as well as the campers, grow and prosper over the 40 year history of the camp.
	Jared Roach, Treasurer Jared Roach is a senior research scientist at the Institute for Systems Biology, where he studies the genetics of developmental disorders. He grew up in the San Juan Islands, near Canoe Island. He attended high school in France at the Lycée du Mont Blanc, where he earned the baccalauréat. After serving as a counselor at Canoe Island French Camp, he earned his MD and PhD in Immunology at the University of Washington. He has served on the CIFC Board since 2004.
	Susan West, Secretary Susan West is an immigration attorney. She and her family live on Lake Samish, in Bellingham, Washington, and visit France every year. Susan graduated from Reed College, in Portland, Oregon; went to UCLA for graduate school in conservation biology; and attended the University of Michigan Law School. She loves to kayak, hike, cook, host friends, read, and travel. Susan and her family sought out Canoe Island because it combines French language and culture, the stunning San Juan Islands, marine and conservation biology, and a community of likeminded yet diverse people. Susan's daughter, Gabriella is nine, and attended Canoe Island French Camp for the first time in 2012; the family's biggest challenge is persuading Gabriella to spend part of her summer at home with them, instead of moving to Canoe Island permanently.
Board Members:
	Tracie Luthi Tracie is an enthusiastic supporter of the French language and culture.  She loves being in the south of France, where the countryside smells of lavender, and she can ride her bike to a farmer's market in a different small town each day. The sustainability of the idyllic, nurturing, and super-fun environment of Canoe Island for current and future campers is her greatest priority as a Board member.   As a parent of an alumni camper, she welcomes feedback from other parents at the email listed below.  She believes that more connections and interactions between campers, parents, alumni, staff and the board will enable CIFC programs to continually improve. Contact: email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
	Micheline Bilodeau Laissez-moi me présenter. I have been involved with Canoe Island since 2006, when I brought my class of 6th graders to camp. It was a love at first site. My focus as a board member is to insure the highest possible level of quality of the French program. I have been an educator for 20 years and hold a Bachelors degree in Recreation and also certification as a French teacher. Canoe Island is a perfect symbiosis of my two personal interests.
	Alexis Berry Alexis Berry is the Catering General Manager at Tom Douglas Restaurants. Over the last 20 years Alexis has planned events ranging from a fundraising dinner for 800 honoring our Commander in Chief to intimate private-residence specialized dinners. Alexis is generally the behind-the-scenes personality helping create, plan and execute events of note in the Northwest.  She hopes the future brings her event expertise to CIFC for inventive opportunities to highlight Canoe's unique offerings.
	Tricie Hunter Tricie became involved with CIFC through her daughter Emily who has been camper, volunteer program assistant and counselor at the camp. Her love of the camp, the incredible staff, the beautiful setting, and the inclusion of French language and culture, got her hooked.  Trice started her French studies in 7th grade, eventually spending her junior year in Paris and graduating from Smith College with a degree in French Language and Literature. She has also received an MBA from the University of Washington, worked as a CPA, and is currently Controller at Woodinville Montessori School. In between school, family and work, she has spent many years volunteering through the schools, youth soccer, and Girl Scouts.  Tricie plays soccer and tennis, enjoys cooking, and loves the San Juans.