Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Vital People: Camp Shawnigan to be transformed into year-round retreat

Plans are underway to turn Camp Shawnigan, an iconic Vancouver Island summer camp for children with physical and cognitive impairments, from a summer-only facility to a year-round retreat for more users. Easter Seals B.C.
TC_161352_web_48603975587_dc86269b36_k.jpg
Campers and camp counsellors gather for a group photo after returning from activities on the lake at the Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan in this undated photograph. Easter Seals B.C. and Yukon is embarking on a long-term plan to upgrade the facilities on the eight-hectare property to appeal to year-round use. Every year around 200 children with physical, intellectual, sensory or learning disabilities spend time in the purpose-built camp. EASTER SEALS B.C. AND YUKON

Plans are underway to turn Camp Shawnigan, an iconic Vancouver Island summer camp for children with physical and cognitive impairments, from a summer-only facility to a year-round retreat for more users.

Easter Seals B.C. and Yukon, which owns and operates the lakeside camp, is embarking on a long-term plan to turn its eight-hectare property into a year-round venture, with new mixed-use housing. It also plans to generate revenue by sharing its facilities with other agencies and groups.

Every year, about 200 children with physical, intellectual, sensory or learning disabilities spend time in the purpose-built camp, with equipment, programs and services tailored to their needs.

“We have offered an inclusive summer camping experience for thousands of children for more than 50 years,” said Lisa Beck, president and CEO of the organization. “We are now looking to grow with the population we serve as we look towards a redevelopment of the Shawnigan Lake property.”

The Easter Seals B.C. and Yukon received $28,000 from the federal government’s Investment Readiness Program, which supports social-purpose organizations. The Victoria Foundation is one of the program’s national funding intermediaries.

“The funding recognizes the need for support in tackling capital projects,” said Beck, adding the redevelopment of Camp Shawnigan will serve as a model for the other two camps the group runs — in Squamish and the Lake Country in the Interior.

Beck said that the vision was to create facilities that exceeded the building code for people with physical or cognitive challenges.

“We want to walk the talk and are working with an architect and accessibility consultant that the end result will be a sustainable model built beyond code,” she said.

Initial plans call for 10 new two-bedroom cabins with kitchenettes and a large community hall to join the existing gymnasium and in-ground pool.

The plan is also to grow with the over-19 population they serve, offering programs and facilities that will appeal to clients up to 49.

Along with the usual summertime crowd, the camp will stay open for the remainder of the year, with an eye towards charging a nominal fee as a place of respite for families.

When not used for Easter Seals B.C. and Yukon programs, the facilities will be available to other organizations, such as schools and the recreational community.

“We are at the stage where we have submitted the project’s schematic design for estimates,” said Beck. “It’s rewarding moving forward towards realizing our dream.”

Easter Seals B.C. and Yukon is a service of the B.C. Lions Society for Children with Disabilities. The non-profit society established its first summer camp in 1968. Camp Shawnigan welcomed its first campers in 1976.

For more information, go to eastersealsbcy.ca.

parrais@timescolonist.com