The OCA is honoured to present the names of camp leaders, who over many years, have trail blazed, built bridges and set precedents, which have assisted others in the Ontario camping industry. Honorary Life Award Nominees hold a place of special significance in the traditions and successes of our Association. New paths and bridges created and implemented by current camp professionals rest upon the solid foundations laid by these courageous pioneers. Honorary Life Members in our Association are a permanent part of our camp lives.
Recipients shall have met the following criteria:
The 2025 Honorary Life Member Recipients are Ellen Howard, Rick Howard and Mike Sladden.
Ellen has lived her dreams and has brought her enthusiasm, creativity, leadership and love of children to the wide variety of roles she has filled over the course of an almost 50 year career, including as a physical and health education teacher, swim professional, waterfront staff, program director and camp director in various camps. As the owner/director of Camp Tamarack, Zodiac Day Camp and Zodiac Swim School, together with her husband, Rick, Ellen has positively impacted thousands of children, families, staff members and other professionals. One of her favourite Sunday activities for 40 years was teaching parent & tot swim classes to infants and toddlers and watching their love of the water and aquatic skills grow and develop.
Ellen’s significant contributions to the camping world include her many decades of involvement in the Ontario Camps Association as a commercial member, swim expert, standards visitor, conference speaker, committee member and participant. In her role as Camp Director, Ellen has been referred to as the “safety queen” among camp staff and family members as she oversaw the portfolios of risk management, health center and waterfront safety and activity programming.
Recently retired, Ellen looks forward to continuing her contributions to the camp world. In addition, she is excited to continue her role as co-chair of the Out of the Cold Program in her local community, enjoying fitness, travel and adventure, and being a wife, mother and “Grammie”. Her family, including Rick, her 3 children (and their spouses) and 5 grandchildren have been, and will continue to be, an inspiration.
Rick is an experienced camp and recreational professional who has been a camper, counsellor, unit head, head counsellor, swim school director and camp director over the course of more than half a century. Escaping the practice of law and living his dream as the owner and director of Camp Tamarack, Zodiac Day Camp and Zodiac Swim School, Rick’s professionalism, intelligence, empathy, adaptability, humour and warmth have made him an impactful, effective and appreciated leader and role model. Rick’s skills in dealing with campers, staff, parents and camping colleagues have also proven successful in his other roles and experiences as a parent, coach, teacher and volunteer in the community. Rick is well-known for enjoying all aspects of camp life, including wearing his daily “punny t-shirts” and making cameos in camp productions.
Rick has also been a long-time leader in the Ontario and Canadian camping movement. He has made extensive contributions to, and had significant involvement in, the OCA over many years as a standards visitor, conference volunteer and speaker, Board member, President and Past President, among other volunteer roles. Rick feels fortunate to have worked with, and learned from, many other talented leaders and mentors in the camp community.
Rick and wife/life partner, Ellen, are the proud parents of Josh, Jennie and Rebecca (and their spouses, Tiffany, David and Mitch) and grandparents of Harvie, Ace, Sloane, Georgia and Grady, all of whom have inspired him both personally and professionally. Recently retired after the 2025 camp season, Rick looks forward to travelling, exercising, supporting other family endeavours, volunteering and to being a babysitter and cheerleader in his role as “Papa Rick”.
Mike Sladden became a third-generation camper at Pathfinder in 1970, beginning a 50-year love affair with camp, canoe country, and Algonquin Park where he still lives today ‘from ice to ice.’
A camper, counsellor, trip guide, section head and canoe instructor, Sladds became a parent to two Pathfinder camper/staff men, and had a first career as a museum professional before the best gig ever, his camp’s director for 24 seasons. Partners with alumnus pal Glenn Arthurs, he also owned the camp during that tenure. He began programs to scholarship underserved, Indigenous and refugee kids, led the camp’s 2013 centennial, and founded Pathfinder’s biennial wilderness leadership conference Spruce Root. Most important, he’s seen generations of Pathfinder boys thrive on the lifelong gifts of community, canoe tripping, and outdoor leadership.
Sladds was a fellow of the Society of Camp Directors, served terms on the OCA Board, two decades as a Standards Visitor, volunteered with Government Relations and OCA COVID Task Force, and serves on Standards Accreditation and Standards Review, where he introduced use of a working group of field experts to advise on trip standards, an ongoing project.
In retirement, Sladds remains active with OCA committees and serves the boards of KidsInCamp, the Friends of Algonquin Park, and Algonquin Campership Fund. He currently works with the Jackman Foundation Initiative, mounting top-flight academic research on outcomes for young Canadians who have camp experiences, studying ways to boost capacity for our camps, and advocating universal subsidized access to those experiences for all Canadian youth.
