Manitoba Camping Association

4 MANITOBA CAMPING ASSOCIATION May 4, 2017 By Shane Gibson for the Free Press Summer camp is a time to have fun and make memories, but there's something almost magical that happens for young campers in those few weeks every summer — friendships and bonds are forged that can last a lifetime. I t's something Larissa Terry has seen countless times in her years working at Camp Arnes, an inter- denominational Christian camp about an hour north of Winnipeg. Every summer, without fail, Terry says she watches as friends become best friends and connections are made that she sees as stronger and deeper than would be possible outside of the camp environment. "You're thrown into this kind of crazy environment where it's very busy. You're in a cabin with seven other people so you get very close," she explains. "Because it's a safe place, people can talk about deeper things than I think they would normally would in a different situation so you get to know people a lot more quickly and are able to get deeper in your relationship with them. "We end up with groups of people that are still friends years down the road." And making lasting friendships at camp is something Terry knows more than a little bit about — she met her husband while working at Camp Arnes and the two have been happily married for three years. "I think because it's such a safe place at camp, people are really able to open up," she says. Allan Mailloux, camp manager at Red Rock Bible Camp says he sees the same thing happen every summer at the Christian camp located near Rennie, Man., and — believe it or not — he too met his wife of 12 years while the pair spent a summer working at camp. "There's a love for the camp community, the kids and the ministry that happens here that drew us together," he says. "We both like the outdoors and now we're actually raising our family here — we have four kids. They love it and the community is amazing and is really helping us to raise our kids." Luther Village Camp near Kenora offers both a youth camp for kids and a family camp that sees regular campers and their families stay for the summer. Diana Schreibmaier, a former program co-ordinator at Luther Village, says she was always amazed at how close the campers who've been coming for years are and how quickly they reconnected even though many hadn't seen each other for 12 months. "We see campers who've been coming for decades and some of the friends they meet here they met on their first day at summer camp when they first started coming. It's cool to see how within your cabin you can build those relationships that can last a lifetime," she says. "It's an environment where it's OK to be different and it's OK to speak your mind. You're free and you're allowed to be yourself." Schreibmaier says she's also made many friends from both attending Luther Village as a camper and through her time working there, and although she's moved on to another job she plans to go back for a week this summer to catch up with her friends. That kind of connection doesn't surprise Emma Kushnier, 17, who grew up going to Luther Village Camp with her family and will return for the first time this summer as a camp counsellor. "Most of my best friends are from that camp," she says. "There's such a strong sense of community… Camp is a place where people feel comfortable to be themselves and I think that's really what allows people to develop those deeper friendships — everyone is always showing their true selves." ❚ Enduring friendships Allan Mailloux, camp manager at Red Rock Bible Camp, met his wife Melissa while the two worked at summer camp. They've been married for 12 years and have four kids – Shaya, 7, Nolan, 5, Lyle, 2, and Remy, 3 months. Submitted photo

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