Camp Madawaska
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The Salvation Army has maintained camps in various locations throughout Canada. While some of these sites have ceased operation over the years, many are still in operation.


Active camps

Camp Sunrise is a camp near
Gibsons Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,605 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. Although it is on the mainland, the Sunshine Coast is not accessible by road. Vehicle access is by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay in West ...
in British Columbia. Captain Fraser Morrison and Colonel Arch Layman first scouted out the area and chose the grounds for the camp in 1925. The Salvation Army runs week-long holiday camps at Sunrise throughout the summer. Camp Mountainview is 19 kilometers west of
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
on
Highway 16 Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to: International * Asian Highway 16 * European route E16 * European route E016 Australia  - Thompsons Road (Victoria)     - South Australia Canada ;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway: *Yellowhead Hi ...
in British Columbia, Canada It has been operating in Northern BC since 1985 and is a place of refuge, fun and growth for campers of all ages. It offers a northern cultural experience for its campers and staff. . Pine Lake Camp (PLC) is in
Pine Lake, Alberta Pine Lake is an unincorporated community in Red Deer County in the province of Alberta. Name Pine Lake got its name from the adjacent lake, the lake used to be known as Ghost Pine Lake (Alberta), Pine Lake from a native legend. History The Pin ...
. The Salvation Army commenced its camping ministry at Pine Lake in 1958. PLC shares the shoreline of Pine Lake with a number of other camps and campgrounds; including Pine Lake Christian Camp, Camp BB - Riback and Green Acres Campground. The
Pine Lake tornado The Pine Lake tornado was a deadly tornado in central Alberta which occurred on Friday, July 14, 2000, and struck a campground and a trailer park. Twelve people were killed, making it the first deadly tornado in Canada since 1987, when an F4 torna ...
of 2000 did not damage PLC or BB, but did significant damage at Green Acres. Pine Lake Camp has a
trailer park A trailer park,caravan park, mobile home park, mobile home community or manufactured home community is a temporary or permanent area for mobile homes and travel trailers. Advantages include low cost compared to other housing, and quick and eas ...
that can service 16
trailers Trailer may refer to: a Transportation * Trailer (vehicle), an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle ** Bicycle trailer, a wheeled frame for hitching to a bicycle to tow cargo or passengers ** Full-trailer ** Semi-trailer **Horse trailer ...
at once. Its largest building is Evergreen Lodge, which contains 16 bedrooms and a common room. From September to June, the camp is rented out for school groups, business and government retreats, and family and church retreats. During July and August, there is a full-time camp staff that organizes seven-week-long camps for children and teenagers. Registration for the camps is subsidized by The Salvation Army. Beaver Creek Camp is 15 km south of
Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
, just east of Highway 219. The 100 acre campgrounds consist of seven cabins, a dining hall, an auditorium, nature trails, a baseball diamond, a sports court, a heated outdoor pool, a playground, a trampoline, a fire pit, and an amphitheatre. Brightwater Science and Environmental Centre is a
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
15 kilometres south of
Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
under the joint ownership of
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
and
Saskatoon Public School Division Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) or Saskatoon S.D. No. 13 is the largest school division in Saskatchewan serving approximately 24,000 students. Saskatoon Public Schools operates 49 elementary schools, 10 secondary schools and 3 associate or affi ...
. The site is just off of Highway 219. 100 acres of the land make up The Salvation Army's Beaver Creek Camp while the remaining 60 acres are used by Saskatoon Public Schools for teaching school-aged children about the environment. More than 2000 students visit Brightwater every year. Newport Adventure Camp is on Skeleton Lake in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, about from
Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
. The camp is over in size and consists of five cabins and 7 Teepees to house campers. The summer program includes swimming and ropes during the afternoon. The ropes course includes a zipline, bridges, a swinging log, nitro crossing,
cargo net A cargo net is a type of net. It is usually square or rectangle, but sometimes round, made of thick rope, with cinch ropes extending from the corners, and in some designs, the edges. It is named for its use in transferring cargo to and from shi ...
, and Bermuda triangle. There is also an outdoor adventures program involving hiking, archery, and a meal in the outdoors. Water adventures also runs consisting of water sports, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. Electives occur once a week, which provide opportunities of sports, crafts, drama, cooking, and music/rhythm. The camp is equipped with a basketball court, a volleyball court, a baseball diamond and a chapel. Jackson's Point Camp & Conference Centre is located near the summer resort harbour at
Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called ''Ouentironk'' ...
in
Jackson's Point Jackson's Point is a summer resort harbour located in the township of Georgina, on Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. It was originally part of a naval land grant made to Captain William Bourchier (December 09, 1791-January 22, 1844) in 1819 (Bourch ...
, Ontario. The campgrounds were first purchased by The Salvation Army in 1917, but the Army ran summer camps on the grounds for nearly a decade before.
Hugh Garner Hugh Garner (February 22, 1913 – June 30, 1979) was a British-born Canadian novelist. Biography Early life Hugh Garner was born on February 22, 1913, in Batley, Yorkshire, England. He came to Canada in 1919 with his parents, and was raised in ...
, a Canadian novelist, recalled having responded to a call to the mercy seat when attending a summer camp at Jackson's Point as a child, even though he became openly
anti-Christian Anti-Christian sentiment or Christophobia constitutes opposition or objections to Christians, the Christian religion, and/or its practices. Anti-Christian sentiment is sometimes referred to as Christophobia or Christianophobia, although these terms ...
and strongly opposed to the idea of a
personal god A personal god, or personal goddess, is a deity who can be related to as a person, instead of as an impersonal force, such as the Absolute, "the All", or the "Ground of Being". In the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions, God is described as b ...
later in life. In recent years, The Salvation Army has split the summer camps by age group, placing the 7 to 10-year-olds in summer camps at Jackson's Point and placing the older children at
Camp Newport The Salvation Army has maintained camps in various locations throughout Canada. While some of these sites have ceased operation over the years, many are still in operation. Active camps Camp Sunrise is a camp near Gibsons in British Columbia. Cap ...
. Scotian Glen Camp is in
Thorburn Thorburn is a surname, and may refer to: * Alexander Thorburn (1836–1894), Scottish-born Canadian politician; provincial legislator in the Northwest Territories 1888–1891 * Archibald Thorburn (1860–1935), Scottish bird illustrator * Chris Th ...
,
Pictou County Pictou County is a county in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1835, and was formerly a part of Halifax County from 1759 to 1835. It had a population of 43,657 people in 2021, a decline of 0.2 percent from 2016. Furthermo ...
, Nova Scotia, Canada. In addition to summer camps offered by The Salvation Army, Scotian Glen is rented by several different organizations for specialized camps. One such organization is the
Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service (also NSLS) is a Canadian lifeguard service operating in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service NSLS has been s ...
which hosts a training camp there. On 26 May 2008, Premier of Nova Scotia, Premier
Rodney MacDonald Rodney Joseph MacDonald (born January 2, 1972) is a Canadian politician, educator and musician who served as the 26th premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 and as MLA for the riding of Inverness in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1999 ...
and Community Services Minister
Judy Streatch Judy Streatch (born October 6, 1966) is a Canadian politician, who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Chester-St. Margaret's in Nova Scotia from 2005 to 2009. A schoolteacher by career, Streatch was educated at Saint Mary's U ...
presented a cheque for $825,000 to The Salvation Army for use in addressing the infrastructure needs of Scotian Glen, Spryfield Family Resource Centre, and Booth Centre. Camp Starrigan is in
Musgravetown Musgravetown (pop: 561 in 2021) an incorporated municipality in the sheltered southwest corner of Bonavista Bay on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Demographics In th ...
, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.


Former camps

Seba Beach was a Salvation Army camp in Alberta, Canada from 1937-1957. Sandy Hook was a Salvation Army camp in Manitoba, Canada from around 1925 to 1975. It was replaced by Camp Woodlands in 1976. Camp Woodlands was a Salvation Army camp in Manitoba, Canada from 1976-2007. Camp Glenhuron was a
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
camp in Bayfield, Bluewater, Huron County, Ontario, Canada. Camp Madawaska is a former
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
camp in
Nipissing District Nipissing District is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858. The district seat is North Bay. In 2016, the population was 83,150. The land area is ; the population density was , making it o ...
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, near the entrance to
Algonquin Provincial Park Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Cana ...
. It was named after the Madawaska River as the
Opeongo River The Opeongo River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District in northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river is entirely within Algonquin Provincial Park and Opeongo River Provincial Park, except for a small portion ar ...
, one of its
tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...
, flows through the camp. The main lake on the property was Victoria. Two islands are in the lake, known by the former caretake of the property as The Big Island (Weston Island) and The Small Island (Brownsea Island). Camp Madawaska was owned by
Edward Curtis Smith Edward Curtis Smith (January 5, 1854 – April 6, 1935) was an American attorney, businessman, and politician from Vermont. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as the 47th governor of Vermont from 1898 to 1900. Early life Edward Cur ...
's family. Edward kept a 4-inch Clark portable
telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...
at the camp. Soon after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Smiths sold the camp, along with the telescope, to
Garfield Weston Willard Garfield Weston (26 February 189822 October 1978) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Weston family. He led George Weston Limited and its various subsidiaries and associated companies, includin ...
, owner of the Canadian company,
George Weston Limited George Weston Limited, often referred to as Weston or Weston's, is a Canadian food processing and distribution company. Founded by George Weston in 1882, the company today consists of Weston Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary, and Loblaw Companie ...
. When Weston died, he bequeathed the camp to the Salvation Army. For the following years, it was used as a camp for inner-city kids for most of the summer and was also rented for various retreats. Salvation Army Scout and Guide groups made frequent use of the camp. Week-long camps were held each summer and weekend camps occurred in spring, summer, and fall. A 12-day Scout camp was held (1986?) that was attended by Scouts from the U.S., England, and from Canada. Camps were usually held at Camp Madawaska from May until October and sites around Lake Victoria could be rented at any time during those months. The camp was returned to Weston ownership in 2005. The remaining camp Camp Rainbow, which served teenagers after they became to old for the Camp at Jackson's Point (Camp Wabana). This group was transferred to
Camp Newport The Salvation Army has maintained camps in various locations throughout Canada. While some of these sites have ceased operation over the years, many are still in operation. Active camps Camp Sunrise is a camp near Gibsons in British Columbia. Cap ...
and continues to operate there. The grounds include of land, much forest and
wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...
, nine lakes, and several lodges and cabins. Common activities include swimming,
camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
,
biking Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
, and hiking. Camp sites used included: The Paddock, Folke's Point, Gilwell Beach, South Bay (chalet), multiple camp sites on Weston Island, and one site on Brownsea Island. Camp Selkirk was a Salvation Army camp in Selkirk, Ontario, Canada from 1948 to 2004. Roblin Lake Camp was a
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
camp in
Ameliasburg, Ontario Ameliasburgh is a village in the Township of Ameliasburgh in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. The village of Ameliasburgh was sometimes known as "Roblin's Mills" after one of its early settlers and the mill he built; the shallow lake to the ...
, serving(east central Ontario from Whitby (in the west) to Gananonque (in the east) to Fenelon Falls (in the north). It operated for about eighty years before closing in 200

Roblin Lake Camp had historically been supported by the local government. Such politicians as Senator William Alexander Fraser (politician), William Alexander Fraser donated extensively to the camp's activities. In 1976, members of
CFB Trenton Canadian Forces Base Trenton (also CFB Trenton), formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the hu ...
donated $2700 to the camp. The
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...
of Picton in Prince Edward County contributed $550 to The Salvation Army in order to pay the registration for three children to attend a Roblin Lake
summer camp A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...
in 2006. The Kiwanis Club of Trenton contributed annually toward the registration fees for underprivileged children from the
Trenton, Ontario Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large unincorporated community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues no ...
area to benefit from the camping experience. From its inception, Roblin Lake Camp has held week-long non-profit camps for underprivileged children ages 7–12 every summer, namely "Fresh Air camp, Holiday camp and Adventure camp. Campers took part in activities such as drama,
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
,
arts and crafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
, and swimming. Other week-long summer camps for children included music camp, moms & kid's camp, and Pioneer Club camp. A special guest was invited to the music camp each year. Several well-known musicians were guests at the camp, notably Major Joy Webb and David Catherwood. men's and women's camps, and seniors' camp were also held. Facilities at Roblin Lake included a
basketball court In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor sur ...
, a
baseball field A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...
, an outdoor swimming pool, and a
miniature golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
course.
foosball Table football, also known as foosball, table soccer, futbolito in Mexico, Taca Taca in Chile and Metegol in Argentina is a table-top game that is loosely based on association football. The aim of the game is to move the ball into the opponen ...
,
archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
,
shuffleboard Shuffleboard (more precisely deck shuffleboard, and also known as floor shuffleboard) is a game in which players use cues to push weighted discs, sending them gliding down a narrow court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a ma ...
,
boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
, volleyball,
air hockey Air hockey is a ''Pong''-like tabletop sport where two opposing players try to score goals against each other on a low-friction table using two hand-held discs ("mallets") and a lightweight plastic puck. The air hockey table has raised edges ...
, and
street hockey Street hockey (also known as shinny, dek hockey, ball hockey, road hockey) is a collection of team sport variants played outdoors either on foot or with wheeled skates, using a either a ball or puck designed for play on flat, dry surfaces. The o ...
were common recreational activities played throughout the summer. Camp Lac de l'Achigan was a Salvation Army camp in Quebec, Canada from 1933 to 2020. Northern Arm was a Salvation Army camp in Newfoundland, Canada from 1960 to 1987. It was replaced by Twin Ponds Camp in 1988. Twin Ponds Camp was a camp next to the
Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...
between Glenwood and
Lewisporte Lewisporte is a town in central Newfoundland, Canada, with a population of 3,288. It is situated in Burnt Bay which opens on to the Bay of Exploits. Lewisporte has a deep water port and related facilities that serve many communities in the re ...
in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Twin Ponds was rented by various organizations for specialized camps throughout the year. Two such organizations were the
Canadian Cancer Society The Canadian Cancer Society (french: Société canadienne du cancer) is Canada's largest national cancer charity and the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. History The idea to form the Canadian Cancer Society origin ...
and the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador. Silver Birches was a camp approximately 25 kilometres east of
Corner Brook Corner Brook ( 2021 population: 19,333 CA 29,762) is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Corner Brook is the fifth largest settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador. ...
Newfoundland. During the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
,
US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in History of aviation in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called ...
flight 741 was diverted to
Gander International Airport Gander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is operated by the Gander International Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport. The ...
and its occupants spent three days at Silver Birches before alternate arrangements were made for their departures. The camp was demolished in 2016.


References


External links


Salvation Army Beaver Creek Camp

Camp Mountainview
{{coord, 48.3983, N, 53.9316, W, source:wikidata, display=title Salvationism in Canada