Posted by Kent Braaten on Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 9:56am.
Nestled on the forested shores of Emma Lake, Camp Kenderdine—officially known as the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus—is a 55-acre jewel of the boreal forest in Saskatchewan. Founded in 1936 by Augustus “Gus” Kenderdine, a University of Saskatchewan artist trained in Europe, the site began as the Murray Point Art School and evolved into a summer haven for artists and students.
Birthplace of the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops (1955–1995), where prairie artists and luminaries like Barnett Newman, Frank Stella, and Clement Greenberg gathered to collaborate, inspire, and push creative boundaries.
Trained iconic Saskatchewan artists such as Wynona Mulcaster, Reta Cowley, and Dorothy Knowles, particularly fostering female artists through the celebrated “The Other Emma” exhibitions (kagcag.usask.ca).
In its heyday, the campus was a crucible of innovation, shaping Saskatchewan’s cultural identity and connecting its wilderness with international art currents.
From the mid‑1960s, it doubled as a biology field station—the northernmost in Saskatchewan—supporting research on botany, limnology, and boreal ecosystems.
A multi-disciplinary haven: hosted gymnastics camps, fiddle camp programs, writers’ retreats, environmental leadership training, and life‑skills courses (esask.uregina.ca).
Enriched by land‑based practices: relics like the forest-embedded labyrinth illustrate the campus’s deep-rooted spirit and impact on students.
Closed in 2012 due to funding cuts, after saving the university approximately $500,000 annually.
Misgivings among students and artists about losing experiential learning and creative space sparked advocacy for its revival.
In 2015–16, USask launched an RFP to attract partners to reinvigorate the site as a sustainable, multi-use facility that blends art, ecology, lodging, and research.
In 2020, 22 non‑heritage cabins were donated to the Montreal Lake Cree Nation to serve urgent housing needs during the pandemic.
The University envisions Camp Kenderdine as:
A year‑round creative and scholarly campus supporting arts, science, reconciliation, and community engagement (leadership.usask.ca).
A reconciliation hub, connecting Indigenous knowledges with ecological, artistic, and academic perspectives.
A gathering place for thoughtful dialogue, problem-solving, and collaborative innovation between university, Indigenous, and local communities (leadership.usask.ca, paherald.sk.ca).
A heritage-rich site, preserving key structures like Kenderdine’s original studio cabins amid forest and lakeside tranquility.
Interdisciplinary Alchemy: Where artists engage with scientists, Indigenous elders, and scholars—leading to fresh insights and healing.
Land-Based Learning: Participants reconnect with nature and traditional Indigenous knowledges in authentic boreal contexts.
Community & Reconciliation: A neutral space to bridge worldviews, foster respect, and shape cohesive solutions.
Cultural Revival: Preserves Saskatchewan’s place in national and global art history and supports future generations of artists and researchers.
Camp Kenderdine is more than a campus—it’s an evolving legacy, a place where art breathes, science thrives, and reconciliation takes shape next to the shore of Emma Lake. As revitalization efforts gain momentum, this hidden boreal gem may once again become a beacon for creativity, learning, and cross-cultural understanding in Saskatchewan and beyond.
Camp Kenderdine is located on the shores of Emma Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. It sits within a scenic boreal forest setting approximately 50 km north of Prince Albert National Park.
Founded in 1936 by artist Augustus Kenderdine, the camp began as a summer art school affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. It later evolved into a multidisciplinary retreat combining art, science, ecology, and community engagement.
While Camp Kenderdine was closed in 2012 due to budget cuts, there have been ongoing efforts to revitalize and reimagine the space as a year-round creative and educational campus. As of the latest updates, redevelopment planning is underway.
At this time, Camp Kenderdine is not open for public programs or overnight stays, but future plans include making it accessible for university programs, cultural retreats, and community partnerships. Stay tuned for updates from the University of Saskatchewan.