PEOPLE
"I really enjoyed spending time with William, telling us his words of wisdom."
- anonymous camper
The heart and soul of Camp Onakawana...
WILLIAM TOZER, Founder
"The land and water have everything you need not only to survive but to flourish. At the same time the bush is teaching you, it’s healing you."
PAM TOZER, Founder
"The heart of the Onakawana Education Fund is to build community and reconnect youth, the land and water."
BEN TOZER
The Onakawana Education Fund was incorporated in 2015, but the Tozer family, on whose land the camp operates, have been bringing youth to the land for over 30 years. The idea of introducing young people to the wilderness took root when Pamela and William were raising their own children, Chris, Nolan, Ben and Rhayne. Their family home is Camp Onakawana. Pam was raised in Moosonee and William in the tiny community of Moose River Crossing. William is a legendary former bush pilot, hunter and trapper. Ben, the youngest of the Tozer boys, is a big part of day-to-day camp operations. An accomplished hunter and trapper, his wilderness knowledge is second only to that of his father.
Ben Tozer, the youngest of the Tozer boys, has become an integral part of the camp's day to day operations. His knowledge and comfort of the surrounding wilderness is second only to his father. Ben is already an accomplished hunter and trapper, who has developed his own intimate understanding of Cree traditional knowledge. Together William, Pamela and Ben are the heart and soul of Onakawana.
The heart and soul of Camp Onakawana …
The Onakawana Education Fund is an Indigenous land-based initiative run by William and Pamela Tozer, members of the Moose Cree First Nation of Northern Ontario.
© ONAKAWANA EDUCATION FUND 2022-2023