Date Event Location
TBD

Winter Trivia Fundraiser

 Closed
January 19, 2023

Day & Overnight Camp Registration Opens

 Online
February 06, 2023

Family Camp Registration Opens

 Online
March 25 & 26, 2023

Spring Volunteer Weekend

 Evans Lake
May 11, 2023

Annual General Meeting

 Zoom
June 25, 2023

Open House 2023

 Evans Lake
November 4 & 5

Fall Volunteer Work Weekend

 Evans Lake
TBA

Winter Camp- Registration Opens

December 27- 30 

 Online

2023 Spring Volunteer Weekend
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

We will be hosting our annual Spring Volunteer Weekend, March 25 & 26, 2023. This is a weekend we ask our community to help us get camp ready for the upcoming rental group, and summer camp season. Tasks include waterfront prep, trail maintenance, site cleaning, landscaping, activity set up and much more.

Come up to Evans Lake anytime after dinner on Friday night (the 24th), or early Saturday morning. We will provide delicious meals from Saturday breakfast to Sunday breakfast. Please RSVP by filling in our registration form. We ask each person attending to register for accommodation and meal planning purposes. All are welcome to attend, but please leave your pets at home.

Accommodation will be assigned by requests, with some cabin sharing possible.

Those under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

ITINERARY

Friday

5:00 pm onwards Arrival after dinner, settle in

7:00 pm Campfire Hangs, Ice-breakers

Saturday

8:30 am Breakfast

9:30 am Camp prep- prepare camp for opening the season

12:30 pm Lunch

1:30 pm Camp prep continues

3:00 pm Free-time/ Low Ropes open/ Field Games/ Nature Walk

5:30 pm Dinner

7:00 pm Trivia and Games Night

Sunday

8:30 am Breakfast

9:30 am Camp prep- the last pieces

11:30 am Depart

2023 Annual General Meeting Notice, May 11
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Notice is hereby given that the 2023 Annual General Meeting will convene at 8:00 PM on Thursday, the 11th day of May, online via Zoom. 

Voting Members
Only members defined in the by-laws as “voting Members” and are eligible to vote at the AGM. Purchase your membership online, before April 10, 2023, to vote at this year’s meeting. Members must be in good standing and present at the meeting to vote. Voting by proxy is not permitted.

Nominations to the Board of Directors
Nomination to the Board of Directors is now open. Those who have applied will be contacted by our board executive about your application.

If you are interested in joining our board, please review the volunteer position posting found on our website. Please send your resume and cover letter to bod@evanslake.com.

Committees
If you are not ready to run for the board, please consider getting involved in one of the Evans Lake committees: REDI (Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), Capital Projects (including fundraising), Strategic Plan, Financial Advisement, Alumni Relations and the Friends of Evans Lake. This is a perfect way to get involved in the Evans Lake community and contribute to your favorite camp. To apply to join a committee, please click here.


Annual General Meeting Agenda

  1. Adoption of rules of order
  2. Consideration of the financial statements
  3. Report of the Directors
  4. Election of Directors
  5. Appointment of the auditor, if required
  6. Other business that, under these By-laws, ought to be transacted at an annual general meeting, or business which is brought under consideration by the report of the Directors issued with the notice convening the meeting.

Click Here To Register to Attend Our AGM

‘Friends of Evans Lake’ Nomination
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Please send us your nomination for the Friends of Evans Lake, by April 1st

For more information about the Rock, ‘click here’

To nominate, ‘click here’

NOMINATION PROCESS

  1. The Nomination period would run from July 1 – April 1.
  2. The Committee will accept nominations up to a maximum of four candidates for any given year
  3. The Nomination form will be available to the membership on the website by July 1 for that year. Only current members in good standing can nominate a candidate.
  4. Nomination forms to be returned to the Committee by April 1 ( e-mail)
  5. The Committee will review the Nominees by April 30 and present their choices to the Board of Directors for their consideration.
  6. The inauguration of the new members onto the Dave Campbell “Friends of Evans Lake” Rock would occur annually at the Open House at Evans Lake.

2023 Open House
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Join Us On Sunday, June 25, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Bring your friends and family to Evans Lake for a day full of fun activities, delicious food and lasting memories. This is a great opportunity for you and your parents to meet our friendly staff, tour the camp, and enjoy a lovely afternoon at Evans Lake.

Get out on our pristine lake and enjoy some canoeing, paddle-boarding and swimming. Also don’t forget to check out our rock-climbing wall, archery range and much more! Our food services team will prepare a fresh burger lunch  at a nominal cost. There will an assortment of items on display for our silent auction. We ask that you please leave your pets at home (certified service animals excluded).

We look forward to seeing you there!

Evans Lake Address:

1625 Levette Lake Road Brackendale, BC

A shuttle service will be provided from the bottom of our hill, at Paradise Valley Road, into camp. Face masks will be optional to ride the shuttle. Vehicles are not permitted to drive directly into camp. The shuttle service will run on continuously during 11 am – 3pm. Last shuttle into camp at 2:15 pm. 

For more information or questions, please email info@evanslake.com or call us 604-294-2267.

Pre-registration is not required.

Get Directions to Evans Lake

2022 SUMMER PROGRAM UPDATES
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

SUMMER OVERNIGHT CAMPS

Registrations Opens February 7, 2022 at 9:00 am

2022 REGISTRATION OPENS SOON

We are back for summer 2022 overnight camps. Currently, with the approval of the BC Ministry of Health, the Provincial Health Officer and the BC Camps Association, we are able to offer summer camps next summer. We have extensive COVID-19 guidelines in place to keep your children healthy and safe while at camp.  Protocols include: reduced cabin capacities, spacing or partitions between bunks, increased ventilation, frequent hand washing and sanitization, mask wearing indoors and outdoor programming. We encourage you to register early to avoid disappointment. Our current COVID-19 Safety Plan can be viewed here. It will be routinely updated as guidelines shift.

2022 OVERNIGHT CAMP DATES – SUNDAY TO FRIDAY

Week 1: July 3-8      

Junior Teen Camp. 10 to 14 years. $686.


Week 2: July 10-15  

Youth Camp. 8 to 12 years. $686.

Leadership Camp A, Interpersonal Skills. 14 to 16 years. $767.


Week 3: July 17-22  

Junior Teen Camp. 10 to 14 years. $686.

OAK: Garibaldi Hike & White-Water Rafting. 13 to 16 years. $835.


Week 4: July 24-29

Youth Camp. 8 to 12 years. $686.

Leadership Camp B, Team-Building Skills. 14 to 16 years. $767.

Week 5: July 31- August 05

Youth Camp. 8 to 12 years. $686.

Leadership Camp A, Interpersonal Skills. 14 to 16 years.  $767.


Week 6: August 07-12

Teen Camp, 13 to 16 years. $686.

OAK: Elfin Lakes Hike & Sea Safari. 13 to 16 years. $775.

Week 7: August 14- 19

Junior Teen Camp. 10 to 14 years. $686.

OAK: Garibaldi Hike & Zip-lining. 13 to 16 years. $820.


Week 8: August 21-26

Youth Camp. 8 to 12 years. $686.

Leadership Camp B, Team-Building Skills. 14 to 16 years. $767.           

View Camp Programs


Registrations Opens February 7, 2022 at 9:00 am

For those families who deferred their 2020 camp fees to 2022, you qualify for early registration. You will receive a separate email from us in early January with instructions on how to access the early registration portal. Please contact our office prior to the early registration period if you have not been contacted by January 20 (please check your SPAM/Junk folder and/or the 2nd parent email on the household account).

SUMMER DAY CAMPS

We are excited to announce we will be running day camps again next summer at Evans Lake alongside (but independent of) our overnight program. Register early to secure your spot.

Each week we will host a maximum of 40 campers, divided into pods of eight based on age and friend requests. These groups will function as a “bubble” and will generally interact with their own group while at camp. Programming will be held outdoors 100% of the time, rain or shine (except for washroom use). We will feature many traditional camp activities, including swimming, canoeing, paddle-boarding, hiking, archery, rock-climbing, field and forest games, forest education and much more. Limited return bus transportation from Squamish, on a first-come, first-served basis during registration.  All other campers can be dropped off and picked up directly at Evans Lake.

2022 DAY CAMP DATES – MONDAY TO FRIDAY

Week 1: July 04 – 08

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $345.

Week 2: July 11 – 15

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $345.

Week 3: July 18 – 22

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years.  $345.

Week 4: July 25 – 29

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $345.

Week 5: August 02 – 05 (Tuesday to Friday)

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $277.

Week 6: August 08 – 12

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $345.

Week 7: August 15 – 19

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $345.

Week 8: August 22 – 26

Youth Day Camp, 7-13 years. $345

Registrations Opens February 7, 2022 at 9:00 am


FIND OUT MORE ABOUT DAY CAMP

FAMILY WEEKENDS

Registrations Opens March 01, 2022 at 9:00 am

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Last year’s family weekends were a huge success and a whole lot of fun. We invite you back to Evans Lake in the summer of 2022, to explore and relax in the place we call ‘your home in the forest’.

Family Camp is a two or three night event for families to connect, have fun, and make memories together over a weekend of camp classics. Open to families with children ages 0 to 17, activities are geared towards adult-accompanied little ones, or children testing out their independence in a safe outdoor environment.

Imagine yourself at the lakeside in the summer with choices including: swimming, canoeing, environmental crafts, forest sensory tours, rock-climbing, archery, low ropes, field games, shooting stars, and meandering walks amidst tall, tall trees. Accommodations and meals are also provided.

2022 FAMILY WEEKEND DATES

5:00 pm Thursday, June 30 to Sunday, July 03 10:30 am

5:00 pm Friday, July 22 to Sunday, July 24 10:30 am

5:00 pm Friday, September 23 to Sunday, September 25, 2:00 pm

For More Information and pricing.

Registrations Opens March 01, 2022 at 9:00 am

COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN

All Camp Program will adhere to Evans Lake’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan. We will be updating this plan over the next couple of months, as guidelines shift. This plan includes frequent hand washing/sanitization, a face mask policy, physical distancing, daily health screening, and flexible cancellation policies for campers who may become ill.

2021 OVERNIGHT SUMMER CAMP CANCELLED- OTHER CAMP OPTIONS AVAILABLE
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

2021 SUMMER UPDATE

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With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing and set to continue into the summer months,  we have made the difficult decision not to offer our overnight Summer Camp program for the 2021 season.  We want to thank our community for your ongoing patience and support while we worked this out. This was not an easy decision and not what we had hoped for. Ultimately, the health and safety of our campers and staff is our top priority. And it also takes a substantial amount of time to plan, hire and prepare for a camp program, and we unfortunately came to a point where a decision had to be made.  

We are pleased, however, to offer our Day Camp program again this summer. This program is more compatible with the current provincial health orders and COVID-19 safety protocols.

While we look forward to the season ahead, we know our overnight campers who were hoping to return will be disappointed. We are disappointed too! We LOVE overnight Summer Camp. Please know that we will offer overnight camp programs as soon as we are able, and it is safe to do so.  Fingers crossed for Winter Camp 2021!

Evans Lake has had a challenging year with the loss of our 2020 spring and fall rentals, our 2020 Summer Camp (overnight) programs, and all but a few day use rentals for spring 2021. Overall, we were able to host 11% of our normal annual visitors in 2020.  We are hopeful that, come fall, we are able to welcome back our school & community groups to camp. If you are able to support one of our fundraising initiatives this year, we would be very grateful as your contributions ensures Evans Lake can continue to welcome campers for years to come. You can learn more on the Evans Lake donation page. Thank you to all who have already donated.

We look forward to connecting with you again in the near future. 

Sincerely,

Lauren Marghetti

Executive Director

SUMMER 2021 UPDATE
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Typically, we open summer camp registration in the first week of January. Right now, we feel it is still too early to know whether we will be able to run our overnight or day camp programs for summer 2021. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., Evans Lake has remained committed to providing programs to youth as long as it is safe and in line with the recommendations from the BC CDC and our Provincial Health Officer. Since March 2020, the tools to manage COVID-19 and the science to understand it have improved, which have allowed us to implement strong safety plans. But with the introduction of vaccines and kids having returned to schools, the landscape is shifting again, so we would like more time to see how things evolve. As such, we are delaying the opening date for registration at this time. We will update you again in late February on our summer camp programs, as well as the registration date.  For those who deferred or donated their camp fees and are therefore eligible for early registration, you will receive an update on the early registration details in February as well.

Sincerely, 

Lauren Marghetti, Executive Director

DAY CAMP 2020
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Evans Lake is shifting gears this summer to offer a day camp program at camp. Our goal is to offer similar programming to our overnight summer camp experience, minus the sleepover part. 


Our fun and educational programs balance opportunities for learning with ample time for play and adventure! Evans Lake’s summer day camp gets your child outside and learning about forests, fresh water, and local plant and animal species. Interactive games, camper-led discoveries, hikes to nearby mountain lookouts, and much, much more ensure endless opportunities for youth to escape, explore, and experience nature first-hand. Campers hone their outdoor skills while also enjoying some of our classic Evans Lake camp activities, such as campfire songs, canoeing and cannonballs into the lake.


This program is open to youth ages 7-13 years and teens ages 14-16 years. Each week, campers will be divided into groups of 6-7, lead by 1 staff member. These smaller cohorts will rotate independent from one another through each of the activity stations. Due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, the activities will be modified to meet physical distancing and sanitation requirements. In the coming weeks, we will be posting these guidelines to our website.


Day Camp programming runs from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

(Drop off between 8:00 – 9:00 AM, Pick up between 3:30 – 4:15 PM)

Dates: Weekly programs, starting July 06
Includes: Evans Lake programming
For: Youth ages 7-16
Cost: $240-300 (depending on length of week)

Note: for day camp to operate, we need a minimum number of campers signed up by June 19. If possible, please do not delay in registering your kids for this program

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND DAY CAMPS IN SQUAMISH, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM. HELP US SPREAD THE WORD


More info found at here

SUMMER CAMP 2021 UDPATE
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Typically, we open summer camp registration in the first week of January. Right now, we feel it is still too early to know whether we will be able to run our overnight or day camp programs for summer 2021. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., Evans Lake has remained committed to providing programs to youth as long as it is safe and in line with the recommendations from the BC CDC and our Provincial Health Officer. Since March 2020, the tools to manage COVID-19 and the science to understand it have improved, which have allowed us to implement strong safety plans. But with the introduction of vaccines and kids having returned to schools, the landscape is shifting again, so we would like more time to see how things evolve. As such, we are delaying the opening date for registration at this time. We will update you again in late February on our summer camp programs, as well as the registration date.  For those who deferred or donated their camp fees and are therefore eligible for early registration, you will receive an update on the early registration details in February as well.

Sincerely, 

Lauren Marghetti, Executive Director

Fall Volunteer Weekend 2022
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

November 5-6

Our Annual Fall Volunteer Weekend at Evans Lake is coming up in early November. We ask for your help with winterizing camp for the upcoming cold months. Tasks include closing up the waterfront area, landscaping, roof repairs, trail maintenance, cleaning out buildings and much more.

Please join us anytime after dinner on Friday night (the 4th) to catch up with past campers, board members and alumni. We will provide delicious meals from Saturday breakfast to Sunday breakfast. Please RSVP by filling out the Registration Form. Please fill out a separate form for each person attending for meal planning purposes. Also, don’t forget to bring your sleeping bag, toiletries and rain gear (just in case). On Saturday evening we will honour Kevin and all his years working at Evans Lake. 

All are welcome to attend. We ask those volunteers 15 years and younger to attend with a parent or guardian. No pets please.
REGISTER FOR THE VOLUNTEER WORK WEEKEND

THANK YOU KEVIN!

We Will Miss You

Thank you Kevin!

A huge thank you to Kevin Berryman, our Facilities Manager, for all the hard work he has done over the past nine years. From fixing all the regular stuff, to sourcing products at a discount, to driving to camp at a moment’s notice— WE THANK YOU! These past 9 years have had so many highs and lows and you have risen to every occasion and every challenge. Your good humour, stories and quick (and cheap) fixes will be missed. You are a wonderful person who has given so much to camp. We are so lucky to have had you this long. 

We will miss you!


JOIN US AT THE VOLUNTEER WEEKEND FOR KEVIN’S SEND OFF

2022 Summer Camp Programs
/ / by Lauren Marghetti

Upcoming Registration Dates

We are very excited to operate our Overnight Summer Camp in 2022, alongside our Day Camp program. Mark your calendars! Registration for summer programs open on the following dates:

  • Summer Overnight Camp- February 07 at 9:00 AM
  • Summer Day Camp- February 07 at 9:00 AM
  • Summer Family Weekends- March 01 at 9:00 AM
(Link goes live on the noted dates)
(Link goes live on the noted dates)

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS: INCLUDING DATES AND RATES. 

Unfortunately, our Spring Leadership Camp has been postponed to a future date. We apologize to any campers and families who were looking forward to this program.

New For 2022- All-Gender Cabin Option

    Evans Lake is introducing “all-gender cabins” for our 2022 Overnight Summer Camp program.  We are doing this to provide welcoming spaces for gender diverse campers, staff, and campers whose families prefer or are open to an all-gender cabin.  We will also have Boy and Girl cabins available. As we strive to create a fun environment for everyone to explore forests, taking this next step to better include all members of our community was a natural fit. 
    As with all programs and for a good quality experience, all of our cabins require a minimum number of campers.  If the registration for any cabin type is very low, we will reach out to all registered families in advance of the camp to advise them of the low registration and offer alternate options.

    Visit this page for more information, including FAQ’s and our Gender Equity & Inclusion Policy.

    EVANS LAKE COMMUNITY SURVEY

    We are collecting community feedback for our strategic planning that begins in early 2022.  Your voice matters to us. This survey will help us understand the needs of the Evans Lake community and will help guide the next 5 years of our work and the experience of guests on site.

    Evans Lake is a community-driven forest education experience—so many of the ideas and activities that make us who we are have come from guests, our staff team, and their friends and families.

    We will be putting together a summary of the feedback and sharing it with you all sometime prior to our 2022 Summer Camps.  We can’t wait for you to hear what others have shared!

    Whether you’re sharing support, an idea that will challenge us, or offering your re-think on what “forest education” means to you, we’re here for all of it.  Thank you in advance for taking time to complete this survey!

    Here’s the link to the Evans Lake Community Feedback.

    Please fill out this survey by February 14. 

    COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN

    All camp programs will follow Evans Lake’s comprehensive COVID-19 Safety Plan. We will be updating this plan over the next few months, as guidelines shift. This plan includes frequent hand washing, sanitization, a face mask policy, physical distancing, daily health screening, and flexible cancellation policies for campers who may become ill.  At this time, the vaccination requirement for campers is still being considered. Public Health has not yet declared whether vaccines will be required for campers in order to attend overnight camp programs.  When this information is released, Evans Lake will make an informed decision, develop a policy and communicate it to all families.  We will allow for flexible cancellations/refunds if the policy does not align with your personal choice or the advice of your doctor. Thank you for your patience as we work through this process. For more information, please click here.

    2021 Wrap Up & 2022 Camps Update
    / / by Lauren Marghetti

    Day Camps

    Day Camp Staff 2021-VR

    Our second year of Day Camps was a great success—and there are lots of thanks to go around!  To all the campers, first and foremost, you are why we are here.  Your courage, your excitement, and your curiosity kept us on our toes every day. To the families for finding us, trusting us, and giving us great feedback along the way (over 100 feedback submissions!), we greatly appreciate you all.  To our staff team for rolling with the waves that come with hosting 70+ campers each week: the regulations were ever-changing but, through that all, you kept the focus on the camp experience!  These camp programs are the result of our collective care and big ideas.

    Given the limited capacity of our 2021 season, we’re especially grateful to the granting organizations that have backed our work.  Thanks to the Canada Summer Jobs program, and to Zac, Shwetha, Madhuri, Shuya, and the whole Project Learning Tree team for connecting us with their Green Jobs and their Green Jobs Internship Program funding.  Forest education experiences are worth supporting!

    Until next time, we’ll be over here prepping our trails, fixing up our cabins, testing out recipes, dreaming the next great program activity, and planning for your arrival.  We can’t wait!

    Day Camp 2021- VR

    Family Weekends

    Our first year of Family Weekends was a roaring success. This summer, over the course of four weekends we hosted a total of 52 families (199 campers) at these camps. This program was an excellent introduction to those experiencing camp for the first time and the perfect opportunity for past campers to share camp with their family and friends. Thank you to the team for executing a flawless program and thank you to our families for trusting us with your time. We really did love sharing camp with you and getting to know you.

    We look forward to running these weekends again next summer.

    FUTURE PROGRAM UPDATES

    Winter Camp 2021

    Currently, the BCCDC and the BC Camps Association have approved overnight camps for children and youth, with guidelines requiring that all programming be held primarily outdoors and for our buildings to be well ventilated. As such, we have decided not to offer Winter Camp this year as it simply does not work well to operate this program during the coldest month of the year under these guidelines.  While we love our Winter Camp program and look forward to it every year, at this time it is in the best interest of our campers and staff to not run this program.
    As our public health climate continues to evolve and improve, we look forward to and are planning for Winter Camp 2022!

    Summer Camp 2022

    With the ever-changing climate of COVID-19, we are waiting to make some decisions about next year’s summer camp program offerings (day and overnight camps). Our hope is that with children ages 5-11 being vaccinated soon and many children ages 12+ having been vaccinated, we can return to overnight camp programming for summer 2022. Currently, overnight programs for children and youth are permitted by the BCCDC, the BC Camps Association and the Provincial Health Officer. What exactly this will look like closer to summer 2022 remains to be seen. We will update you again in early 2022, including registration dates, costs, and COVID-19 guidelines. 

    DONATION- THANK YOU!

    In Memory of Stephanie

    This year, we received a very generous donation from the family of a past camper who, sadly, passed away a couple of years ago. The donation allowed us to create a new endowment fund that will subsidize one additional camper each year. It has also enabled the replacement of several roofs in the upper grounds. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Evans Lake team we want to thank Jane Holland for thinking of us, working with us to find the right fit for your donation and for always supporting our programs. We appreciate it more than words can say. 
    As a tribute to Stephanie and to this donation, we will also be installing a swing bench at camp in the coming months. It will be located on a quiet spot overlooking the lake. A place for campers to take a moment to reflect on their camp experience, while enjoying the serene views with a friend. Something Steph would have loved ❤️.

    About Stephanie, by Holly Clarke

    “Steph was like no one else, her courage and bravery knew no bounds. Everything she cared for became so precious and special, and every person she loved, she surrounded them in her light and warmth. Steph and I started going to Evans Lake as soon as we could. Hearing stories about it from my brother we were eager to make our own memories in this special place.  Steph returned for several years, spending 99% of morning activities and rec time at either archery or the swim dock. Her excellent core strength combined with her competitive spirit made her one to beat in log birling down at the dock.Steph loved music (the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles), and was always up for anything. She would go on every ride at the PNE and dared ‘Fright Nights’ to truly scare her. She made every small moment in life special with her thoughtful heart and creativity. Evans Lake was always a highlight of her year.I hope friends at camp use Steph’s Swing as a special place to connect and get lost in thought and conversation like Steph and I did in this forest “
                                                               v
    Also, we would like to send a big thank you to Vancouver Hoo Hoo Club #48 for the cedar shingle donation for these roofs.

    TEAM NEWS

    Welcome Row

    Please join us in welcoming our newest team member, our new Program Manager, Row Burke. Row joins the Evans Lake community from Ontario camping and has successfully completed 2 months working with our fall groups. We are excited about her extensive experience in the camping industry and her enthusiasm for youth programming. We look forward to getting to know her more and the passion and skills she will bring to her role with Evans Lake. Welcome, Row!READ MORE ABOUT ROW

    THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM!

    A huge thank you to our Evans Lake team for all the hard work you have done this past year and a half. From switching up and creating new programming, getting creative with limited funds, driving the daily day camp bus, to working long kitchen hours (to name a few) — WE THANK YOU! These past 20 months have tested and exhausted us. But with each new hurdle you rose up and met the challenge with positivity, solutions and smiles. You are all phenomenal humans, and we are lucky to have you!
    READ MORE ABOUT OUR STAFF

    2021 SUMMER CAMP UPDATE
    / / by Lauren Marghetti

    Dear Families and Campers,

    Yesterday, there was exciting news from our Provincial Health Officer (PHO). Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced the lifting of BC’s public health order which prohibits youth from attending overnight camps. This change is welcome news for our industry as it signals an improving public health picture and confidence that overnight camps can operate safely in this new environment.  We hope this news helps move us beyond the past 15 months when Evans Lake’s operations were curtailed to support the PHO’s important public health measures. 

    Over the last few months, the BC Camps Association (BCCA) has worked diligently with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and the PHO to create health and safety guidelines for overnight summer camp in BC. Due to this effort, the vaccination roll out, and reduced cases, the order was lifted. 

    Unfortunately, this news comes too late for us to shift gears to make this summer happen for our overnight campers. The three main reasons behind our decision are:

    1. Planning for summer camp is typically a 7-month process and, with just 5 weeks until camp starts, there is just not enough time to pivot. We have also spent the past 5 months planning and hiring for day camps.
    2. The restart plan for overnight camps has not yet been released and they anticipate it may be a couple of weeks before it is finalized. This additional delay eats up the few remaining weeks we have left to plan.  To run an exceptional program, we need to know the regulatory parameters—i.e. How many campers could we host? How many campers could sleep in the same cabin? What options do we have for eating together? What guidelines would exist for busing campers to/from Evans Lake and Metro Vancouver? In what way would the cohort system (similar to what schools operate under) translate into overnight programs? And more!
    3. We have already committed to the day camp program for the 300+ campers who have already registered. They, too, are excited for their camp experience, and not all of them would be able to shift to an overnight experience. 

    We thank you all for your ongoing support and for understanding. We, too, love summer camp and would love to have been able to host overnight campers this year.  While the news is not perfectly timed, we are so excited to have the health order lifted as we can now start planning for our fall groups and beyond, including Winter Camp 2021.

    If you have any questions, please contact us at info@evanslake.com. We also invite you to stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram.

    Sincerely,

    Lauren Marghetti, Executive Director
    Evans Lake Forest Education Society

    Posted in → News