There is great news for summer camps at Kenosee Lake, as Saskatchewan COVID-19 restrictions have changed in order to allow for overnight camps again.
The change in restrictions will take effect on June 20, as part of Step Two of the Saskatchewan Re-opening Roadmap. Camps in Kenosee affected by this change are optimistic about this year in general, and excited for the opportunity to return to overnight camps.
Most of the summer camps in Kenosee had held off on making solid plans for this year’s camps in order to see what the government would be saying closer to summer, which allowed them to leave room for overnight camps. Therefore, there are some which will be making changes in order to take advantage of the reopening of overnight camps, but all are planning on running camps in some form.
Kenosee Boys and Girls Camp had planned to do their family camps, which would take up four weeks in July. Now they will also be adding at least two weeks of overnight kids’ camps, which Michael Paul, the camp director, said might be extended to three if there is enough demand.
Kenosee Lake Bible Camp also had a plan in case something like the change in overnight regulations should happen. They are planning to do four weeks of kids’ camps onsite starting in July, which was their plan originally, but now they will also be allowing for an overnight option. They will also be running their Bold program, Road Camps, and family camps on the Canada Day long weekend and the Saskatchewan Day long weekend.
According to John Smith, the camp’s program co-ordinator, Clearview Christian Camp will stick mostly to their original plan before the news of the new restriction changes. They will still be doing two kids’ day camps which will be four days long, and they will also have family camp, where families will stay in cabins together overnight.
There is also a lot of excitement over the possibilities that come with overnight camps.
Brad Weber, the executive director of Kenosee Lake Bible Camp, explained what their camp is especially excited about.
“We love doing fun activities, but camps provide opportunity for kids to get to know kids from other communities to build some pretty awesome friendships … you can build those friendships with day camps, but there’s something about crawling into a cabin with other kids and … just spending a night in a bunk and in a cabin, and the family almost that’s built in each of the cabins. So, we’re really excited to have that back, because that ... was something that was missing.”
There are also plenty of new changes that the camps are excited about, which took place despite recent COVID-19 challenges. Clearview Christian Camp was able to work on renovations during last summer. Kenosee Boys and Girls Camp was excited to announce that they are starting a new family camp, Birch Family Camp, which will be more Ecumenical in nature.
Kenosee Lake Bible Camp has a new portable climbing wall that they are looking forward to using.
Last year, most camps were not able to return to what they had previously done in the past. Summer camps in Kenosee were forced to change their plans drastically from what had been previously planned or imagined. Kenosee Boys and Girls Camp, Clearview Christian Camp, and Kenosee Lake Bible Camp all ended up not doing onsite camps due to COVID-19 restrictions. Kenosee Lake Bible Camp did start Road Camps, which consisted of travelling to different areas and taking the experience of camp to others, since they couldn’t come to the camp itself.
However, all the summer camps in Kenosee were unable to do onsite camps, let alone overnight ones. Therefore, the camps are all excited for the various ways that they are getting back to running camps.
