Free walking tours of
Camp-X

Sir William Stephenson would have been proud of us!
 

Tour Camp-X with the author of
'Inside Camp-X':
Lynn Philip Hodgson
 
 

Lynn Philip Hodgson walks towards Corbett Creek while pointing out where historic events took place.

Next tour - Watch this site for the 2007 tours!

The May 8th tour was a great success! Someone counted 183 enthusiastic people; most didn't want to go home.  June 18th saw another 206 people come out and 62 on July 23rd. 123 people on August 20th, and 216 on September 24th, taking our total this year to 790! With the tours and the school outings, the grand total for 2005 is 1,328 visitors!

Please sign up now for next year's Camp-X tours by e-mailing Lynn below.

   I have received several questions about the tour, here are some FAQs:

   what time does it start?  12:00 p.m.

   how long is it? approximately 1 1/2 hours

   how much it does it cost?  no cost.

   how much walking is involved?  several hundred feet on rough terrain.

   what area does it cover?  Intrepid Park, 17 acres.

The 2005 & 6 tours have been so successful that we will be posting dates here soon for the 2007 tours.

Saturday,  May , 12:00 noon
Saturday,  June , 12:00 noon
Saturday,  July , 12:00 noon
Saturday, Aug. , 12:00 noon
Saturday, Sept. , 12:00 noon

I would sincerely like to thank Durham Radio Inc. and Pete Walker for plugging the walk on their radio programs. I could see by the huge attendance that it certainly made a difference and was definitely attributable to their plugs.

Durham Radio Inc. is made up of KX-96 (Country music), 94.9 (The Rock), and Oshawa's Oldies CKDO (107.7 FM and 1350 AM)  Three great stations!

   For directions to Intrepid Park:
   - 401 South on Thickson Road to Wentworth Road - left (East) to
   Boundary Road - right (south) about 600 ft. - top of hill on your right.

2005 marks Whitby’s Sesquicentennial and this most significant anniversary is being recognized and celebrated throughout the entire year.  The Whitby Public Library is thrilled to be a part of the celebration and looks forward to enhancing our partnerships and relationships with the schools in our community.  A
number of exciting activities are already taking place and we are very pleased to offer a new program for the fall in partnership with Lynn Philip Hodgson, Camp-X Historian & Author.

Mr. Hodgson is offering tours of Camp-X for grade 10 students at no charge.  The tour takes the student through the grounds of Camp-X revealing the incredible story of Canada's top secret WWII school for training approximately five-hundred secret agents in the dark arts of 'ungentlemanly' warfare. The student will see where the actual buildings stood and the purpose of each with an explanation of the activities that went on inside.  Significant locations will be pointed out to them as they pass by sites where specific historical events took place.  Don't miss this exciting tour as we recreate life 'Inside Camp-X.'  The tour takes approximately 1 hour and schools will be responsible for the cost of transportation.  A Town of
Whitby bus can be booked and will accommodate 46 people (sitting & standing) at a cost of $70/hr +GST with a two hour minimum.  Tours are available during the weeks of September 26, October 17, and November 7.

Whitby school tour arrangements and bus bookings can be made by contacting me directly at:
rjessup@whitbylibrary.on.ca or at 905 668-6531, ext. 2033.
http://sesquicentennial.whitby.ca/Calendar/Calendar_Main.html

Sincerely,

Rhonda Jessup

Public Services Manager
 
 

Feedback from four of the 1,328 people who have taken the tour.

Hello Lynn,

"Just had to let you know that my parents and I really enjoyed last Saturday's tour of Camp-X - absolutely fantastic!  And we were so pleased to see the turn out of folks, too.  Great to see the number of kids there as well.

We didn't ventured down along the beach too far - I'll have to do that on one of the upcoming tours - Betty was concerned about how her knee would hold up, so we carried onto the Museum 'cause they hadn't been there either.

Deirdre (sp?)and her Mom Lois were there, so spent the good part of an hour checking out the history contained in them there walls.

Dad found it hard to believe the size of the aeronautical collection and Camp-X exhibit, and that it's one of this country's best kept secrets.  He's already writing to his M.P. and M.P.P. to shake things up - to let the public know about Camp-X and this Museum.

So Lynn, would you please tell your lovely wife that Mom and I would love to go on a tour of Camp 30 with her, whenever.  How's September sometime?

Again, thank you both.  And as my parents commented, 'Thank God you took up the torch on Camp-X all those many years ago.  You've done all those involved proud.  And you've done a brilliant job of it, too.'  Thank you and God bless."

Warmest regards,

Susan

................................................................................
 

Lynn

"Thank you for an incredible tour. I felt like I knew yourself and your wife a little from the book. It was exciting to hear you talk and see the sight in person. It felt like there were ghosts of spies in training shadowing us as we walked about.
My son was coming up with all sorts of ideas as we were going home. What about a spy training camp for executives? What a superb way for corporate bonding. How about spy summer camp for kids. Can you imagine tours with real (actor) spies shadowing the groups. It was fun to imagine.
Hope to be in touch for further school stuff."

Scott Gardner
teacher / librarian
Beaverton PS
 

....................................................................................

Lynn--
"My friends and I enjoyed your tour and the historical details of people and events surrounding Camp X.  It was really interesting to learn about Gouzenko's "Forbidden Beach".  One of my friends recalled visiting Camp X in 1970 and seeing the buildings and roads, which had not yet been 'ploughed under'.
Thanks very much to both you and your wife for sharing your historical research."

Elizabeth Stewart

....................................................................................

Dear Mr. Hodgson,

 I was very fortunate to be along with the Fallingbrook Public School trip just last week (teacher, Ms. E and Ms. M), I was the other adult and though not a
 teacher my interest was two-fold.

 I have heard about Camp X and did purchase books for my father-in-law some years ago but my interest was in this subject that had so riveted a student to read.  Being a reader and loving to share with students I was thrilled when I was able to come along on the trip so that I could understand more of what this one student was reading so hungrily.  My hunger for the subject was peaked as I was now putting together what I was reading and then what I heard during your tour.

 Your tour was spectacular!  I was able to learn so much and I have borrowed the 4 books that my father-in-law had so that I could read them in a different way now that I had your voice in my head reading the words.  Your books and your voice.  I have to thank you for the knowledge that you bestowed upon me.

 They (my relatives) were thrilled to learn that I had been there when a bullet was found and to think that so much history is local to us is just very, very exciting.

 It was a privilege to have met you then and maybe I'll see you down that way again.

 Sincerely,
 Darlene Spray