Have questions?
Why can’t my camper come for more than one session?
Though we know many campers would love to attend more than one session per summer, we simply don’t have the resources available to make that happen. Our first priority is always on ensuring that we can provide as many campers with the possibility of attending camp for a week. This means limiting each camper to one session(with the exception of new campers who can attend new camper camp and a full session).
Why can’t check in be faster?
Every camper who comes to camp needs to be seen by our health care team. Regardless of their medical needs, it is a lot of responsibility for our staff to assume care of 42 children. Even if your camper does not require a lot of medical attention while they are at camp, we need to be sure that everyone has been through the check in process.
We have thought about having staggered check in times for families (where each family would be assigned a specific time to arrive). There are a few reasons why we have not implemented a process like this.
- Driving times and distances – many families drive from long distances and planning to arrive within a specific time frame is not feasible.
- Every camper takes a
Different amount of time to check in making scheduling check in appointments very challenging.
We have done a few things in the past couple years to help ease the process:
- More RNs – We now have two Registered Nurses who make up the health care teams.
- Check in numbers assigned upon arrival – just like the deli counter we now give out numbers to families as they arrive to ensure they are seen in the order they arrive. Therefore, you don’t physically have to wait in line to see the health care team. Occasionally we have multiple colours of numbers and each colour corresponds to the health care team member that is looking after that buddy group. This way, the health care team members get to meet the campers that they specifically will be working with. At times, however, it means that someone who arrives after you may get through check in before you do.
- Pre-check station – we have started having all families stop at the pre-check table to ensure that their forms are all in order before getting in to see the health care team.
- More popsicles, movies and air conditioning – we know it gets hot and for most families drop off is a routine process that occasionally takes longer than you would like. Thanks for being patient and empathetic towards our staff and other campers who are all doing their best to make this a smooth experience for everyone involved.
Why do we have to print and fill out a 20 page application form every year?
While we appreciate that it is a lot of work to fill out the full application every year, we also know that we need to have the most up to date and accurate information about your camper as possible. There are often little changes in contact information, medical information etc and therefore we require a new application each time.
How come we never received a photo journal of our camper or it didn’t work?
Over the past couple years we have tweaked our photo journal system so that it will be more user friendly for families and campers. You should receive an email with a link to your photos within a week of your camper attending camp. If you do not receive this email or are having problems please contact James, Director of Camping, at camp@eastersealsbcy.ca
How can my camper stay in touch with the friends they have made? Is there a Facebook page?
We do have a Facebook page, where we invite all campers and staff to become fans of BC Easter Seals Camps. This can help campers stay in touch with their friends. If your camper makes friends during camp that they would like to stay in touch with, please feel free to get in touch with us at the head office (camp@eastersealsbcy.ca) and we will make sure it is fine with the other family for us to put you in touch with that camper.
My camper lost some belongings at camp. How come staff don’t ensure they keep track of everything?
Every week we have up to 100 people on site (including campers, personal support workers, staff, volunteers, guests etc). That is a lot of stuff to take care of. Our staff absolutely try to take great care of camper belongings (especially special equipment). Unfortunately, sometimes items get lost. If this is the case, please contact the camp immediately and we will try and keep an eye open for it. You are then welcome to come and pick it up from camp.
To help ensure belongings are not lost there are few things families can do:
- Label everything with first and last names, not just initials
- Fill out the property list that is sent in the confirmation email
- Check the lost and found area closely before you leave on pick up day
- Don’t send stuff to camp that campers will be really upset about losing or getting dirty if you can avoid it. Leave favourite t-shirts etc at home.
Why can’t my camper bring their laptop, cell phone or iPod to camp?
Because it is camp! We cannot take responsibility for valuable electronics at camp. Campers should not have cell phones at camp – it is unfair for others and distracts from the program and camping environment. In some circumstances we allow campers to bring their ipods to help them sleep or calm down. In most cases they leave them in the coordinators office and we discuss with the camper and family the times that it will be used ahead of time.
Why is camp so awesome?
There is a really simple formula that we use for making camp the best place on earth. The most important ingredient is THE CAMPERS!!! They are the ones who inspire everything that is awesome about camp. The next most important component is the staff and volunteers. Their enthusiasm, genuine love for camp and campers, and creativity meld together to help create that camp magic. And of course, we need to add in the beautiful camp facilities!
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Easter Seals BC/Yukon is a service of the BC Lions Society For Children With Disabilities.
We acknowledge Easter Seals provides its services on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Okanagan Peoples.
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