Adventure Club engages kids
Every Tuesday morning this summer, children from Emmanuel Mennonite Church have been searching for a sheep while finding fun through nature-themed stories, water games, art projects, and hands-on creation care activities. An alternative to the traditional Vacation Bible School, the Kids’ Summer Adventure Club gives children ages 5 to 10 something to look forward to…
COVID camp closures
Camp Squeah of Hope, B.C. has cancelled its 2020 camping season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a May 15 statement, camp director Rob Tiessen wrote, “In order to best ensure the health of our campers and staff, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 summer camp session. This applies to all…
Willowgrove guarantees camp programming this summer
Before COVID-19, southern Ontario not-for-profit Willowgrove offered summer camps, outdoor education and seasonal events in Ontario from its Willowgrove Day Camp and Outdoor Education Centre in Stouffville and Fraser Lake Camp in Bancroft. In order to maintain its mission but move its work online, Willowgrove has created Camp @ Home, a unique online camp experience…
Camp Squeah paddle-a-thon fundraiser reaches million-dollar mark
Rowers and paddlers in Camp Squeah’s annual paddle-a-thon reached their goal, raising over $51,000 on Sept. 21 and bringing the total over the past 21 years to just over $1 million. Rob Tiessen, Squeah’s executive director, reported a “wonderful day on the water,” and added that “an occasional slight headwind kept us honest in our…
Nisbet reflects on 33 years of camping ministry
After 33 years as the executive director of Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp, Campbell Nisbet is grateful for all the growth he has witnessed. Whether it is the trees he planted on the camp property or the spiritual maturing of young adult leaders he mentored, Nisbet sees it all as signs of God’s blessing. And he…
A blessing from God
The idea that Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp is a sacred space where God is at work came up over and over again at the farewell event for Campbell and Chris Nisbet, held on July 13 at the camp near Shakespeare, Ont. Surrounding all the stories and memories expressed, there was deep respect and appreciation…
Squeah paddle-a-thon switches to fall
For the first time in more than two decades, participants in the annual Camp Squeah paddle-a-thon will be navigating the Fraser River in the fall instead of the spring. “Whereas, traditionally the paddle-a-thon has been a pre-summer event, typically taking place in early spring, when the weather is often wet and cold, and the river temperatures…
From Kitchener-Waterloo to Kenya
A young woman is impacting the citizens of a community 13,000 kilometres away from her home in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. Amanda Snyder is the co-founder of Camp Marafiki Pamoja, a health-and-education-based summer camp in Riruta Satellite, a high-poverty area of western Nairobi, Kenya. The camp offers children in the area the opportunity to eat together, sing,…
