A major facelift

LINDELL BEACH, B.C.

Columbia Bible Camp is undergoing a major facelift this winter, with the replacement of all of its cabins. The camp has been operating with 18 cabins, which had been built when the camp was founded 40 years ago. They slept 8-9 children each and did not have washrooms--campers had to walk to central washrooms. (These central washrooms were proving inadequate--the central girls' washroom had only two shower stalls and three washbasins.) These cabins will be "mothballed"--they will not be torn down and might be used for crafts, but will not be used for sleeping.

In their place, nine double (duplex) cabins will be built. Each side of the duplex has double the floor space of one of the old cabins and will have eight beds (including one queen size). Each side of the duplex will also have a shower, a toilet, two wash basins, a frig, a kitchen sink and a coffee maker. The new cabins will also have lofts, which could increase the sleeping capacity or be used as activity areas.

In addition, the old "captain's cabin" is being replaced with another structure similar in design to the double cabins, except that it will have more private sleeping areas, have a meeting area, be handicapped facilitated and be combined into one cabin rather than being a duplex. This structure will be a leadership cabin, used for staff in the summer, and will also be used for small retreats in the off-season (e.g., pastor and staff retreats). The other new cabins can also be used for accommodation for retreats.

Six of the duplexes were expected to be completed by the end of January, and all nine are expected to be ready by summer. The entire cost of the new buildings, $497,000, has been raised, primarily from MB churches and individuals, including some of the donors who had helped found the camp 40 years ago. Most of the fundraising was done by John H. Redekop, who is past chair of the Columbia Bible Camp Board, a subsidiary board of the B.C. MB Conference Board of Camp Ministries. Much of the work is being done on a volunteer basis by seniors and others from many of the MB churches in the Fraser Valley.

The new cabins will allow room for a slight increase in campers during the regular six-week camping season to a maximum of about 150 campers a week. However, the main increases will be in the number of retreats and other users who can be accommodated during the off-season. In addition, the old cabins will be used for crafts and to set up a daycamper program that could serve up to 200 campers a day.

The rebuilding was made possible through a rezoning of the camp's main 20-acre site from rural to residential/recreational, finally approved on Oct. 29. There had been some concern that neighbours would oppose the rezoning, fearing increased traffic and congestion in the area, but in the end six neighbours spoke in favour of the rezoning and only three opposed.

The new zoning allows 15 permanent beds per acre for a total of 300 (100 staff and 200 campers). The camp has only about 250 beds now (including a "motel" and some staff accommodation). The 300-bed limit does not include RVs, which could be brought in for family camps, for instance. The camp has also covenanted not to start a dude ranch (although it could bring in horses for its regular camping program).

The camp also has an adjoining secondary site of 40 acres, which is still zoned agricultural. The camp plans to apply to have that zoning changed as well and possibly develop an adult retreat centre on that site, but that process could take a number of years. In addition, the camp is continuing to lease 13 acres from the British Columbia Parks department, as it has for the past 40 years.

JC

Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 37, No. 3 Home Page