In every province of Canada, there are camps that are members of the nine camping associations that make up the Canadian Camping Association.
Camps are owned and operated in various ways. Some are operated by agencies such as the YMCA, Girl Guides and Scouts Canada; others by churches and religious groups and yet others by individuals or by independent corporations.
Camps are everywhere - in urban, rural or wilderness areas and on lakes, rivers, islands and oceans. They are based on permanent sites as well as on borrowed or rented facilities. Some camps operate as travel camps with no fixed base other than administration offices.
While some camps are dedicated to children with special needs, others integrate special needs campers with the general camp population.
Youth with cancer, diabetes, hemophilia, hearing impairment, visual impairment, autism, developmental delay or learning disabilities attend camp. At camp, children in wheelchairs go on canoe trips. Camps dedicated to youth at risk help them to change the direction of their lives.
In every province, there are resources to assist children in financial need to attend camp.
Camp programs offer considerable choices. Some camps have a specific focus while others offer a wide variety of options and activities. Campers interested in aquatics or archery, baseball or boating, canoeing or computers, drama or diving, ecology or equestrian pursuits, fishing or fine arts, languages or leadership - the list goes on - can find a camp to accommodate their interests and needs.
The B.C. Camping Association website at http://bccamping.org can assist families in discovering the scope of camp choices available to them.
