Facilities
at Wesley Acres Campground
Accommodations
Dorms
They can accommodate up to a maximum of 54 peoplesituated on the
second floor of The Barn, above the dining hall.
Each room has been renovated and now has private washroom &
showers. 6 rooms are motel style (3 with a Queen sized bed and
pullout couch and 3 with 1 Queen sized bed) 6 rooms are bunk bed
style (3 bunk beds in each room)
Tenting
The tenting area is located in a quiet corner of the park. There
are 14 lots serviced with water and hydro and 10 un-serviced lots
in this area. Flush toilets and showers are about 150 yards away.
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Meeting
Rooms
Douglas
Memorial Centre
Located in the core area of the camp, this modern building is
the home of our largest meeting room the Douglas Chapel, as well
as the ES Bull and Orland/Light & Life Rooms.
Douglas
Chapel
The Douglas Chapel is the entire upper level of the Douglas Memorial
Centre. It is equipped with upholstered stacking chairs that will
seat up to 450 people, an 8 channel sound system, projection screen,
piano, organ. Washrooms are located on the lower level and are
accessible by both internal and external stairways. Pictures
E
S Bull Room
Equipped with a gas fireplace, carpeted floor, and sound system.
Windows on the south and east side overlook beautiful West Lake.
It will accommodate up to 75 people (theatre style) in upholstered
stacking chairs. There is a large serving kitchen next door and
washrooms are just down the hall. This is our best breakout room.
Orland/Light
& Life Room
Located on the lower level of the Douglas Memorial Centre, across
the hall from the ES Bull room, this room has concrete floors
and is often used for craft classes. It will accommodate about
50 persons in theatre style setup.
The
Don Deyo Centre
The Don Deyo Centre has three floors and is also located in the
core area. The ground floor houses the kitchen and dining hall.
The Dorms are located on the second floor. The Third Floor is
an open multi-purpose area. The first two floors have been completely
renovated and brought up to code. The first two floors are now
air-conditioned for your comfort.
Dining
Hall
The Wesley Acres dining hall has earned a fine reputation for
excellence in food preparation and service. Located on the ground
floor of the building affectionately known as The Barn, Our Dining
Hall has the capacity to seat 130 inside and another 120 seasonally
in the patio area. Service is cafeteria style.
Third
Floor
Located, as the name implies, on the third floor of The Don Deyo
Centre, this area is used for craft classes, floor hockey and
a wide variety of similar activities. It is often the scene for
rainy day activities.
Youth
Barn
The lower level of the this barn houses the work shop for the
maintenance department and has a walkout basement to the south
side. The middle and upper levels are reached from the ground
floor on the north side. The middle level houses the Youth Lounge
and equipment storage. The Loft is located on the upper level.
Youth
Lounge
Located in the the middle level of the Youth Barn. During July
& August it is the central meeting place for our summer staff.
However, from September to June it is used as a meeting room by
our guests. It will accommodate about 50 persons (theatre style).
The
Loft
The Loft is located on the upper level of the Youth Barn. It is
reached by both an inside and outside stairway. The open barn
beams and barn-board walls provide a special environment for youth
activities.
As
the Loft is intended for three season use it is not heated.
Aldersgate
Lodge
Aldersgate Lodge is located about 100 yards to the west of the
core area. The upper floor of Aldersgate Lodge houses sleeping
rooms. (See Rental Housing) Aldersgate Lounge and the central
washrooms for the trailer park are located on the lower level
which is accessed from ground level on the north side.
Aldersgate
Lounge
Located on the lower level of Aldersgate Lodge, this lounge has
both stuffed furniture for lounging as well as conference tables
for meetings. There is a self contained kitchen in the next room
with pots and pans for preparation and dishes and utensils for
serving. This is an excellent facility for smaller groups who
wish to be self contained and provide their own meals.
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Recreation
The
Beach
at Wesley Acres is located in the north west corner of
the trailer park, just off Wesley Acres road. There is a natural
sand beach with a very gentle natural slope and no 'drop off'.
There is a playground area on the shore including swings and climbers
for young children. The beach is not supervised except at certain
hours during specific events.
Beach
Volleyball
There are two outdoor sand volleyball courts located near the
tennis courts.
Shuffleboard
Three concrete shuffleboard courts are located near Aldersgate
lodge and are the scene for many hours of fun and fellowship.
Tennis
An
modern asphalt surface tennis court is located just north of the
Guest Services building. It is surrounded by a chain link fence.
Basketball
The tennis court doubles as the basketball court. With nets located
so that two (cross court) games of basketball can be played at
the same time.
Boating
Boating is very popular at Wesley Acres. Boats can be launched
on the north shore from a boat ramp near the beach and on the
south shore along the road near the entrance to the park.
Both
sites provide access to West Lake and the Sand Banks Provincial
Park.
Canoe
/ Kayaking, Horse shoes, Boccee Ball Soccer, & Softball.
Adventure
Based Learning
The Adventure Based Learning (ABL) course (also known as the Low
Ropes course or Challenge course) was installed in 1998. The ABL
course consists of two sites. Although both located in the woods
near the North Ridge Trail they are accessed from the field not
from the trail. Each site includes several elements such as The
Wall, Hanging Vine, Tire Pole, Big Tire, Walking Beam, Trust Fall
and Incomplete Bridge.
Participants
are guided through the course by a Facilitator who establishes
the teams and creates the metaphor or game. The concept is to
present participants with challenges that cannot be accomplished
by oneself. Assistance of other team members is essential. The
team approach assures that there are no losers, everyone wins.
At the end of each element the Facilitator debriefs the group
and brings out the lesson or application to life that was built
into the exercise.
The
ABL course is readily adapted to user groups of all ages. Although
it was designed and installed as a tool to encourage spiritual
growth in Christians the ABL course is also used to build team
work within professional groups such as business executives and
school teachers.
North
Ridge Trail
A green belt, approximately 66 feet wide, stretches around the
entire island. As a result the Wesley Acres shoreline is open
for all to use.
However
the most interesting trail, and perhaps the best kept secret,
is the North Ridge Trail. To reach the trailhead follow the road
north past the horse barn, to the top of the knoll in the grassy
field. Rather than turning right, proceed across field to the
tree line.
The
trail itself runs along the march at the base of a north facing
slope. Bloomfield Creek, which loops through the marsh keeping
it fed with fresh water, can be seen from the trail. About 2/3
of the way to the end, the trail comes out into a clearing with
a park bench overlooking a bend in Bloomfield Creek. Just the
place for a quiet rest before continuing your hike. The North
Ridge Trail ends at Wesley Acres Road at the first welcome sign.
From here you can pick up the Islands Trail.
There are many large trees along the trail including Beech, Sugar
Maple, Red Oak, Black Cherry, Mountain Ash, White Ash, Ironwood.
Frequent natural users of the trail include Red Fox, Beaver, Raccoon,
Deer, Partridge and Wild Turkey. (Click on Bird Watching) With
the wide diversity of trees and proximity to the marsh there are
numerous song birds in all seasons. During spring, summer and
fall the marsh abounds with waterfowl. Blue Herons are often seen
along the banks of Bloomfield Creek.
Take
your time. Walk quietly and you will be rewarded.
Islands
Trail
The Islands Trail is at extreme east end of Wesley Acres and runs
south along a narrow causeway and connects Wesley Acres Road to
three small islands. The causeway just touches the west end of
Bush Island, which will be mostly on your left. The next is North
Hickory and the final island is South Hickory. The trail follows
through the heart of the island to a landing on the west end.
Click on Islands Trail for a map of the trail system.
The Hickory Islands
In addition to Gasket, the main island, Wesley Acres has three
smaller islands to the south. These are reached by following the
Islands Trail south from Wesley Acres Road. Park at Wesley Acres
Road and enjoy this easy hike. You will have the open water on
your right and a cattail marsh on your left. Watch for song birds
and waterfowl. Bush Island is the first reached but you might
miss it as the trail just catches the west end and the balance
of the Island is heavily treed. The trail proceeds south to North
Hickory Island. There is a beautiful grove of mature trees on
the west. The balance of the island was cropped by a local farmer
until recent years but is now returning to its natural state.
The trail to the south is flanked by cattail marsh on both sides
until you reach South Hickory Island. There is a natural sand
beach where the trail comes to the shore of West Lake. This area
is frequently used for overnight camp outs by our user groups.
The trail continues past the camp site and through the heat of
the island to a natural landing on the west end.
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Contact
Us
Wesley
Acres, Box 330, Bloomfield ON, K0K 1G0
Telephone:
613-393-3159
Fax: 613-393-1720
E-mail: wesley@reach.net
Wesley
Acres Inc. is affiliated with the Free
Methodist Church in Canada |
