From the 1940s to the 1980s, the property served as a family-style resort with many housekeeping cottages nestled around the property.  Knowing for its community atmosphere and great fishing, Hidden Bay Resort was a popular destination.  Many of the original cottages still remain on the property, and have been adapted into staff housing and program spaces.

In 1999, the property was purchased by York Professional Care & Education and Hidden Bay Leadership Camp (HBLC) by the agency.  Darren Henry, founding Camp Director, had developed a model for a leadership camp where all children would have the opportunity to attend camp regardless of circumstance as part of his post-secondary studies. Darren partnered with Keith “Java” Higgins, fellow founding Camp Director and YPCE Executive Director, Pat Henry to bring this vision to life.

Hidden Bay opened for its first summer in 2000, with little time to get ready the budget was tight and the existing buildings on site were repainted and shingled just in time for the gates to reopen for an entire month, allowing children to come to camp for little or no fee.

Since that time Hidden Bay has continued to expand, adding eight platform tents, three washrooms facilities, an amazing low ropes course and a dining hall. In November 2006, the three-year old dining hall was destroyed in devastating fire.  It was a huge loss, yet we were able to rebuild a new and improved dining hall just in time to reopen for Summer 2007.

In fall of 2019, we began a major upgrade of our program and staff cabins, replacing the 1950s era housekeeping cottages with purpose-built cabins to host camper programming and staff spaces.  The buildings were installed in spring 2020 and sat waiting as the camp was closed in summer 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.  In summer 2022, the buildings were first used by campers and staff as camp returned.

Hidden Bay continues with our founding vision of ensuring that camp is for all campers, and today partners with York Region, the Sudbury Manitoulin Children’s Foundation, Kids in Camp, Amici Camp Charities, Shawanaga Healing Centre and the Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board to provide subsidized camp spaces.