Mark your calendar — the Campaign Kickoff Celebration for Rebuild the Magic of Camp OAC is Saturday, October 3!
Join us at St. Michael's Cathedral (11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., 608 Sutherland Ave., Kelowna) for a barbecue, kids' activities, and a chance to learn more about the campaign. Then head over to Camp OAC (3:00–5:00 p.m., 2411 Westside Place, Kelowna) for a chapel service, blessing of the grounds, tree planting, camp tours, and a campfire with s'mores. Come to one or come to both — everyone is welcome! RSVP today at campoac.com/rebuildthemagic.
Camp OAC's story began even before the current property was purchased. Anglican camping in the Okanagan traces back to a girls' camp held at Trout Creek in the early 1940s, and to camps held near Okanagan Centre in 1948 and 1949. These early efforts gradually came together around a shared vision: a permanent home for Anglican camping in the Okanagan. That vision took root in 1950, when the current property was purchased for about $9,000, and the first campers arrived that very summer. In the years since, cabins were raised, a dining hall built, a water system installed — camp buildings and traditions grown almost entirely through volunteer hands, donated funds, and creative fundraising.
You can be part of what comes next. We invite every parish across the diocese to play a role in bringing Camp OAC back, and we invite you to join in. Visit our Parish Toolkit to learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved. If you'd like to be a Camp OAC Ambassador for your parish, we'd love to hear from you — connect with Cathy Haig at haigncraig@gmail.com. We would be grateful to have you!