a perfect location to house the dangerous high ranking Nazis – far enough away from Europe and the bulk of the fighting, and in a rural location far enough away from the major centres of southern Ontario and Quebec.

Placing them here rendered them essentially ‘worthless’ to the war effort. That was seen as a great victory.

A COMFORTABLE LIFE

By all accounts, life at Camp 30 was comfortable. Shortly after arrival, the prisoners created gardens and had a pool and recreation centre built specifically for them.

They had lecturers come in from the University of Toronto to hold classes. They entertained themselves with puppet shows and theatrical events, and were able to make purchases with money sent from home or earned making furniture and other items on site – money thatthey spent on alcohol, cigarettes and items from the Eaton’s catalogue.

From thestar.com;

Run like a five-star hotel with luxuries that included an indoor swimming pool, theatre and concert stage, the camp’s true purpose was given away only by the barbed wire around it.

The occupants had one complaint, which they made to the Red Cross – the urinals were too low. The prisoners even ran a newspaper from the Camp, and were allowed offsite to downhill ski and swim in lake Ontario. Some of the former German Nazis recall feeling a sense of guilt for their idleness. They wanted to return to war. Others stated they were happiest at the Camp, knowing they would return safely (alive) to their homes and families when the time came.

A Luftwaffe pilot who spent