Overall, camp is some of the most fun you will ever have! You get to spend a week with an awesome counselor, meet new friends or spend more time with old ones, do all kinds of fun and sometimes wacky camp activities, laugh, sing, and learn a little bit more about God.

Here are some descriptions of specific situations you might be wondering about, especially if you’ve never been to camp:

After arriving at the SPCC parking lot, you will check in with a member of our staff at the registration table. They’ll make sure everything is “good to go” with your forms and account.  They’ll also let you know the name of your counselor. If you have any medical concerns, you’ll be able to explain them to the nurse and you’ll also give him or her any medications you may have.  You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase a camp t-shirt.

Once all that business is taken care of, bring your belongings down to the dock and put on a life jacket. Listen to our staff members who will let you know when it’s time to go on the dock and hop into one of our boats. You’ll say goodbye to family, friends, pets or whoever else brought you to camp and then enjoy the short ride across the lake to the main camp dock. Your counselor or a CIT (counselor-in-training) will be waiting for you on the dock to help you move your things to your cabin. You’ll soon meet everyone else in your cabin and be ready for the week to begin!

Our wooden cabins are basic and cozy but will soon feel like “home”. You won’t be in your cabin very much during the day as you’ll be too busy with activities, but you’ll definitely spend some quality time in them at night – talking, singing, and laughing before it’s time to sleep. They have no electricity so bring a flashlight and leave all your electronics at home. You’ll have a bunk to call your own but be sure to bring your own inflatable or foam mattress and bedding. You’ll also have a place to keep your bag/suitcase, but space is limited so don’t bring too much. Soft-sided bags are easier to slide under beds to keep out of the way when not needed. Counselors stay right in the cabins with you (except at Teen Week), so you’ll have someone with you 24 hrs a day.

The schedule will be posted in a place where everyone can see it. Have a look at the typical day page for an idea of what it might be like. Don’t worry – your counselor will help you remember where to go and when. Usually you will stay with your cabin and counselor for all activities but sometimes you may also do activities with a “team”. You’ll get a chance to try everything at camp throughout the week. Don’t worry if you’ve never done something before, we’ll help you out!

Our camp activities include: canoeing, archery, swimming, fishing, crafts, low ropes initiatives, volleyball, baseball, soccer, basketball, campfire, and more.  You may also play camp favourites like: capture the flag, spies and mercenaries, kick the can, staff hunt, cities of refuge, and more.  We also have two tether-ball courts and a swing set.  Activities offered may vary from week to week depending on the theme, age group, the weather, and even special talents our staff members may bring.

Before every meal you’ll wash your hands and then line up with your cabin outside the kitchen. We’ll wait for everyone to arrive before we sing the camp song and say grace. You’ll then walk through the “back porch” of the kitchen to get your food. Staff members will ask you questions to find out what you’d like and serve your food for you. At the end, they’ll hand you your plate and you’ll pick up your utensils and a drink before heading outside to the picnic tables.

The food at camp is great! You might have hamburgers, spaghetti and bread sticks, french toast, or chicken fingers and fresh-cut fries. Desserts might include home-made cookies, rice krispie squares or our famous lemon squares. Yum. The cooks are great for being flexible with picky eaters and also for ensuring anyone with a food allergy is safe and well-fed. One night you might even cook your own dinner and dessert over the campfire!

Because camp has no running water, people often wonder how we take care of our day-to-day needs.

Near each set of cabins, there is an outdoor “wash stand”. It has a counter to keep your toothpaste and toothbrush, a sink, and a drinking water cooler as the “tap”. You’ll also find a plastic cup with your name written on it hanging on a hook. You’ll put some water in your cup and use it to brush your teeth. You may also wet a facecloth here to wash your face.

In various convenient locations throughout camp, we have specialized composting toilets which are contained in little wooden sheds (we call them privies). These toilets are much nicer than the old outhouses they replaced (they certainly smell much nicer) – in fact, they are often used in homes or cottages and are a very environmentally friendly alternative to traditional toilets. Your counselor will let you know how to use them. There’s a bottle of disinfecting hand wash available – squeeze a little on and rub it over your hands (just like antibacterial hand gel).

Near the kitchen we have a special set of hand washing sinks and soap available to scrub away all the germs before we eat.

We bathe daily, in the lake, at the very beginning of our swim session. Girls and boys each have their own separate time each day. Because we are washing in the lake, we have to be very careful of the soaps and shampoos we use to be sure they are not harming the environment – so please do not bring any with you to camp. The lifeguards will give you some environmentally friendly “camp soap” to use. It doesn’t lather as much because it’s sulfate and phosphate-free (chemicals are bad for the lake) but it still cleans.

Drinking water for the camp comes from lake water that is purified through a UV light and carbon filter water filtration and treatment process.  Our system is tested daily to be sure it’s providing safe, clean water.  It’s also government inspected and approved.  We follow the Safe Drinking Water Act.