Camp OAC Invites You!

Rebuild the Magic: Camp OAC Invites You to Our Campaign Kick-Off

For over 75 years, Camp OAC has been the place where a generation of Anglican young people found their first taste of independence — a first night away from home, a first turn leading a canoe, a first time feeling completely known and accepted, surrounded by nature, mentors, and friends. In August 2023, that legacy was shaken. The McDougall Creek Wildfire swept across the hills above Okanagan Lake and, within hours, destroyed 26 buildings — roughly 95 percent of the camp's structures. Every camper, staff member, and volunteer made it home safely. But the place that had shaped so many lives was, for a time, gone.

Nearly three years later, we are ready to bring it back — and we are inviting the whole diocese to be part of that renewal.

Rebuild the Magic of Camp is Camp OAC's campaign to restore day and overnight camping, rebuild what was lost, and prepare the site to meet the future with confidence. Phase One carries a total cost of roughly $4.2 million, and we are asking our community to help us raise $1.6 million toward it. Day camp is already set to return to Kelowna this summer at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, with a full return to overnight camp at the lake planned for summer 2027.

The vision extends beyond replacing what burned. It's a chance to rebuild wiser. Fire resilience has been built into every layer of the plan: new buildings will include a sprinkler system, along with fire-rated siding, fire-resistant roofing membranes, and non-combustible mesh screening at the eaves — a detail that matters when embers are in the air. A new camp-wide water system will include non-potable lines designed to support fire safety alongside irrigation and daily camp activities, backed by a generator so water stays available during power outages.

The renewed Camp OAC is being designed with universal design principles in mind, so that washrooms, pathways, and gathering spaces welcome campers and people of all ages. A new dining hall will anchor a site built to serve not just summer campers, but school groups, retreats, and community partners throughout the year.

We would love for you to celebrate with us. Please join us for our campaign kick-off on Saturday, October 3. The day runs in two parts: from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm at St. Michael's Cathedral in Kelowna, with a barbecue, activities for kids, and a chance to learn more about the campaign; then from 3:00 to 5:00 pm out at the Camp OAC site itself, with a chapel service led by Bishop Lynne McNaughton, a blessing of the grounds, tree planting, camp tours, and a campfire with s'mores to close out the afternoon. Come to one, or come to both — everyone is welcome.

"Together, we can build the next 75 years of Camp OAC," says Campaign Chair Donna Zukowski. "Every gift, every visit, every story shared on October 3 becomes part of that next chapter."

Camp OAC has always belonged to the whole diocese — to the parishes who send their children, the alumni who still carry its memories, and the volunteers who have shown up, year after year, to keep its spirit alive. Rebuilding it will take that same community, building together.

To learn more or to support the campaign, visit www.campoac.com/rebuildthemagic, or reach out to the campaign team at rebuildthemagic@campoac.com. We hope to see you at the kick-off