For Camp Summit founder and director Geoff 鈥淧arky鈥� Park, camp isn鈥檛 just about summer fun; it鈥檚 a community, a family.
He started the camp 19 years ago this year in Whistler before moving to Squamish. As a child, he attended camps in Ontario, and went on to be a councillor and eventually senior staff.
Ontario has a rich and long history of extended summer recreation, says Park. There are a lot of non-denominational camps, that is, private, independent organizations not affiliated with an agency or religion. When he moved to Squamish, he saw an opportunity to fill a niche, and create something like he experienced and enjoyed when he was young.
鈥淚t was the most transformative experience of my life. All my closest friends are still the ones I met at camp, and it鈥檚 really shaped who I am today,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat was the inspiration to start this.鈥�
Camp Summit sits on 24-acre site at Mile 18 in Upper Squamish.
On site, the camp is set in a forest with cabins, with spaces for rock climbing, high and low ropes courses, and mountain bike trails.聽 During some of the summer programs, trained staff take participants for hiking trips on popular trails such as at Elfin, Joffre and Garibaldi lakes. There鈥檚 also canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, and drama; as well as outdoor survival skills, such as the navigation program, or learning to build campfires and an outdoor shelter.
During the summer, there are camp programs for children of varying lengths for different age groups, starting with a three-day, two-night program for four-year-olds, and going up to four- to eight-week-long leadership development programs for older teens.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an incredibly energetic environment to be in. I think it鈥檚 a place where kids can really feel like they can truly be themselves,鈥� says Park. 鈥淭hey can relax, have fun, be a kid, and know that they鈥檝e got a really engaged group of staff that are here to ensure that they have a really enjoyable time, are taken care of in a really safe manner, and are supported through their experiences.鈥�
But for Park, the camp isn鈥檛 just about having fun; it鈥檚 also about creating a welcoming, safe and supportive space. Kids who come to camp, often leave with a sense of self-confidence and independence, he says, and find the opportunity to be mentored by supportive young adults.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a place where kids learn to work collaboratively,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e living in a cabin with eight people you may have just met, and you鈥檙e all living in one cabin for a week or two, you need to find common ground, be kind, and learn to work together effectively.鈥�
Attending the camp is often the first opportunity some children have to experience outdoor activities.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e introduced to it in a controlled, safe environment, and they learn they have a passion for it,鈥� he says, talking about the rock climbing course on site. 鈥淧erhaps they go next year and do a day of on-rock climbing, and that might turn into a life-long passion and pursuit they have.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what brings us the most joy, is exposing kids to these outdoor pursuits and outdoor activities that they may carry on with them the rest of their lives.鈥�
And when they get home, according to Park, even the parents can see how the experience has impacted them. Park says he gets emails, letters and phone calls from parents noticing an increase in their child鈥檚 self-confidence.
鈥淭o have a parent notice positive change in a child that they spend 51 weeks a year with, and that positive change has been a result of the time that they鈥檝e spent here, that鈥檚 the most fulfilling part of what I do and why we do this,鈥� he says.
Camp Summit also has programs that sponsor children who want to attend camp but may not be able to afford it. Last year, they extended the program to newly-landed Syrian families with children.
Summer programs run from July 1 to August 28, but other programs run through the spring and into the fall. To learn more about Camp Summit, and see a full list of their programs, visit campsummit.ca.
