By Alexa Gilker

A THETIS Island-based retreat centre and summer camp is not shutting its doors for good, contrary to rumours.

After the Anglican Diocese of B.C. suspended Camp Columbia’s operations last September, some annual attendees were worried that they had experienced their last fun-filled summer at the camp.

Columbia receives the vast majority of its funding from the diocese. Financial officer Harry Felsing said the diocese was simply no longer able to cover the costs the camp was accruing.

“We were forced to suspend operations, in order to reformat how we were going to do business,” said Felsing.

This included laying off all of the camp’s full-time staff, who were previously employed year-round to run the various private retreats and parish events the camp was rented out for.

Felsing speculated that this is what sparked rumours that the camp was shutting down completely, though he assured BCCN that this was never the plan.

Possibly the biggest change since the reformatting is that the camp is now only open from May 1 to October 31. Events that occurred in the shoulder season are being fit into this new, shorter season.

“We’re sort of cautiously moving forward on removing the bugs out of the reorganizing,” said Felsing. But he said it appears to be going “reasonably well.”

Currently the camp is well into its summer program and has been gearing up for a jam-packed August. Sue McLeod, B.C. Anglican diocese family ministry facilitator, noted that despite the rumours of cancellation, the camp “exceeded their expectations” for camper enrollment.

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“When they heard about our financial position, a lot of parishes wanted to support the camp,” said McLeod. She noted that the Anglican community really came together to make sure the summer camps were able to operate this season.

“I think we’ve created a facility that we’re proud to have, that we’re going to be using in a way that reflects who we are,” said McLeod.

Though that identity is funded by the Anglican diocese, the facility is run as an interdenominational camp geared toward encouraging youth in their faith in Jesus Christ.

“We have campers from all over the island, the USA, even Taiwan,” said McLeod.

Though the 100-plus volunteer summer staff hail from various denominations, they are united by Camp Columbia’s desire to “give campers the experience of living in an open Christian community.”

One highlight of the camp’s reformatting includes a unique new approach to camp outreach. During the weeks camp registration isn’t overly full, extra volunteer staff are being sent to Vancouver Island’s Chemainus area. There, staff are reaching out to non-churched youth who wouldn’t normally attend camp.

The camp is also running a successful LIT (Leaders In Training) program this summer, which trains youth aged 14 – 16 as future cabin leaders and possible volunteer staff. This serves a two-fold purpose.

“Summer camp is one of the only ways that our young people have to actually connect with each other, in terms of space,” said McLeod. The LIT program is intended to not only foster this connection, but also muster up the volunteer manpower to continue running the camp in its newly efficient manner.

So rest assured, fans of Camp Columbia: your favourite summer destination is open for business.

It may not be business as usual, but if the overseers have anything to say about it, it will be a business that continues to build the sense of community that saved it.  

August 2010