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Jam Camp de l’Outaouais

July 2- July 6, 2026

Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat, near Wakefield, QC 

Come join us for our first ever Jam Camp de l’Outaouais! At this new 4-day event we will explore music, nature, and community together on a beautiful, wooded ranch with a private 10 acre lake in Western Quebec. 

New to Jam Camp?

If you’ve never been to a Jam Camp before, you can expect an inclusive, easy-going environment where Jam Campers of all ages and musical abilities camp side by side with professional musicians to explore, create, and have fun playing music together! Imagine camping for a few days with your family and friends in a beautiful location with lots of fun things to do: and there just happen to be a bunch of friendly musicians hanging around that want to jam with you, teach you a new instrument, or write an original song with you! Guitar, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, strum stick, bass, brass, wind, drums, percussion, violin, accordion, melodica, voice, and dance! Everyone is welcome at Jam Camp, come join the fun!

A Different Kind of Camp

Jam Camp is a different kind of camp… it’s not your typical “summer camp”. We often refer to it as a “Family Camp”, not because it’s just for families (because anyone can come: families, solo adults, groups of friends, etc), but because it requires kids to come with their family, or at least one adult. All minors must attend with a responsible adult/guardian/parent. It is not the type of camp where you can drop your kids and come back to pick them up 4 days later. One of our main missions is to encourage families to play music together, sing together, and jam together! And in turn- for people of all ages and walks of life to play music together, sing together, jam together! That is how we build community.

Our staff and facilitator are musicians first. It will not be their job to make sure your kids are eating their breakfast, staying safe during break times, and getting to bed on time: those will be your duties. Again- you are on a wonderful camping trip with an amazing group of family and friends- and there just happen to be some great musicians there too, who want to jam with you!

Dates

Jam Camp de l’Outaouais will begin on Thursday, July 2. Jam Campers are asked to arrive at the site between 11:00am and 3pm. Our first official camp activity is setting up camp together! Then at 5pm we will have a Welcome Potluck Dinner, followed by an evening activity and entertainment.

The full schedule of the camp’s events will be sent out closer to the date and will be similarly structured to those of other Jam Camps: morning activities will start around 9/10am; with a lunch & leisure break, a dinner & leisure break, and evening activities wrapping up around 9/10pm. During the day camp activities include full group workshops & events, small group lessons, and songwriting/musical project groups. 

Our final performance takes place on the evening of Sunday, July 5, and Jam Camp ends on Monday morning, July 6. Monday morning will be for packing up camp, saying goodbyes, and taking your last stroll through the forest before check-out time at 11am.

Fees

Jam Camp Registration Fee

All folks participating in Jam Camp who are aged 4 and up will pay a sliding scale registration fee of $200 to $500 CAD per person. In addition, each family/group is required to pay a $50.00 site use fee.

The fees cover 4 days of workshops, activities, instruction, and contribute towards the cost of the site. The fees do not cover food; each family does their own cooking. If you are able to pay more than the base fee per person, that will greatly help us meet our expenses! 

Additional Fees

If you choose to pay via PayPal rather than E-transfer, a PayPal fee of approximately 3% of your registration & camping fees will be added on top of your total.

You may also choose to make a contribution to help subsidize registration for a low-income attendee, or to help Jam Camp cover its expenses.

Accommodation Options

Camping

The best way to enjoy the authentic Jam Camp experience is communal camping!! Camping together is a great way to experience life's little ups and downs on the same page… a beautiful sunrise, the smell of a neighbors morning coffee, an impromptu lunchtime sing-along, the crickets and frogs at night… or those achy camping mat bones, the unexpected rain storms, baby crying in the early hours, etc.… all make for great song writing content! We’ve been organizing Jam Camps for 23 years and can assure you that participants always have more fun when they choose to camp together! 

At Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat our main camping area will be in a grassy field that is suitable for tents, camper vans, and some RVs (3 electrical hook ups for RVs). Jam Campers are asked to bring their own camping kitchens, including a folding table and something to haul and store drinking water from the well water source on site. Campfires are allowed in the designated fire rings only (firewood for sale at site) or you are welcome to bring your own propane campfire. There are a few flush toilets and pit toilets on the property for our use. The lake will be used for keeping fresh, with swimming and/or boating at your own risk with a signed waiver! There is no extra fee for camping.

The Ranch House

For those Jam Campers who need a little extra comfort, there are a few rooms in the Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat Ranch House that can be rented separately. These would be rented out on a room-by-room basis, so the Ranch House would be shared communally. The Ranch House will also be used for some Jam Camp activities and events- the only private area would be your room. If you would like to look further into this option, you can make arrangements with Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat directly. Email info@pineandbirch.ca or call (819)329-7114 for more info. The cost of your rental would be separate and on top of your Jam Camp fees.

More About the Site

Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat has been a family ranch for decades, and has been welcoming visitors to come stay, rest, and play on its’ magical land for over 30 years. It is lovingly cared for by Melissa who lives on the property with her two dogs, a flock of chickens, and a herd of three horses and two alpacas. The 50-acre property is made up of a few pastures for the animals, an orchard, a garden, lots of beautiful trails throughout an old growth pine forest for walks and exploring, and a private 10-acre lake with a little sandy beach and a small dock. When you're not busy making music at Jam Camp there is no shortage of other activities at Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat. Swimming, paddling, fishing, hiking, forest bathing, bird watching, exploring, basketball, badminton, beach volleyball, tetherball, horseshoes, etc.! There is cell service at Pine & Birch Ranch & Retreat, but we highly recommend that you plan to unplug for Jam Camp. 

Safety

A waiver of liability agreement is required to be signed by each adult and parents on behalf of their minor children. 

The resident ranch animals are fun to watch and pet but please do not feed them or enter restricted areas without staff supervision or permission. Please make sure to review the rules with Melissa before engaging with any of the ranch animals. 

Swimming and paddling in the lake are one of the highlights of this property. The small sandy beach with gentle water access is suitable for young children. However, there are no lifeguards, and children should never be left unattended at the beach or in the water. 

Parents need to be fully responsible for their children’s safety at every Jam Camp.