Wasaga Women's Retreat
In 1979, Sally Shwetz, founded a women’s retreat at Camp Wasaga at Clear Lake, a camp that ran weekly family camps in the summer. She formed a committee, recruited from Fort Garry United Church and they decided we would have a retreat on the first weekend in June every year.
We all wanted to create a special welcoming place in which women could find fellowship, have an opportunity to listen to a theme speaker, to eat delicious food and to take time for music, for fun, exercise, worship and to have an opportunity to share their lives.
Our first retreat attracted women from Winnipeg and mainly from Fort Garry United Church. Later a larger retreat committee was formed by Winnipeg women. The retreat flourished for 41…yes 41 years!! And then Covid turned up. Over those 41 years the retreat always shared a simple program based on its rituals.
The retreat started on Friday when everyone was welcomed as each entered the Lodge where a warm fire burned in the fireplace. The ladies made unique necklaces with their names on them and then the music began!! The piano player, Sandy Cain, got all of us laughing and singing.
Then the special invited guest would begin her session. A time for drinks and snacks followed before going to our cabins where usually sharing went on about the first evening.
Saturday always began with the sound of the big bell welcoming us to start the day. There was an opportunity to go for a walk or to do waking up exercises on the lawn. Then we gathered for a short worship before sitting down to a great breakfast.
Our speaker session usually started after Sandy’s song time which definitely got us going. Usually our sessions were held in the Lodge, but if it was a warm day we went outside on the lawn.
The cooks had been at work and at noon we enjoyed a great lunch and then all of us were deciding how to spend our special afternoon. Usually a small group decided to stay at camp and use the canoes or to lie in the sun. However the big draw was to go into the town of Wasagaming and check out the scene there.
Everyone was back by 4:30 in the afternoon when we were encouraged to look at the special items the committee was offering for the evening auction. Everyone began to find something unique to wear which would go with the theme of the retreat at our special dinner. At 6:00 p.m. the bell rang out to summon all to feast on the dinner prepared traditionally by the cooks in accord with the theme for that weekend.
Following dinner, we prepared for the traditional amateur show with acts prepared by each cabin. There was a variety of different acts as the cabins presented their skits, their songs, stories or a dance. Cascades of laughter and fun memories ensued. After the show, usually everyone left the hall to continue fellowship and song at the camp fire outside.
Sunday arrived and the bell woke us up to have a short worship service and then to our special breakfast consisting of eggs benedict and an assortment of fruit. By now everyone felt at “home” as they were part of a very special weekend. The third and final session commenced and was followed by a Sunday service based on breads from around the world. Following the service we went out on the lawn and formed a big circle and sang the closing song “From you I have received, to you I have given, together we have shared and from this we live.” Hugs of friendship formed at this special retreat closing our time.
This experience takes place every year in June and is as the brochure states:
“a gathering of spirits, a festival of friends.”
