May 19, 2020
Join us for Summer Camps!
YMCA Calgary is excited to offer you Summer Camps! While we can’t engage in the way you might be used to, we’ve found a way to offer you week-long summer experiences that will be safe, fun and memorable. We look forward to connecting with your kids. New this year is family/household overnight weekend camp experiences at Camp Chief Hector YMCA! Enjoy the great outdoors with your family like never before.
In the city
Camp YMCA camps take place at FIVE of our health & fitness locations in Calgary. PLUS a new location in downtown Calgary (details coming soon).
Campers will participate in a variety of games and activities that take place in and out of our YMCA facilities. Each age group will enjoy activities appropriate for their developmental age.
Day Camp amenities and activities will be dependent on government health restrictions and recommendations at the time camp starts, as well as operational realities within branches if pools or other amenities have limited capacities due to health guidance.
*subject to change based on COVID restrictions
In the city
At Camp Riveredge, campers will experience a fully outdoor camp—right in the city!
Packed with full days of adventure, campers will participate in active camp games and spend lots of time exploring forests and wide-open spaces. Full days immersed in the natural world will provide many meaningful opportunities and loads fun!
All camps include some of the same activities, but are modified for each developmental stage to keep camp fun, engaging and challenging for all ages. Campers must be dropped off and picked up at the Camp Riveredge site near Sandy Beach. There is no bussing or before/after care offered for this camp.
Outside of the city
Camp Chief Hector provides a rich ecosystem for children and youth to learn and grow through nature. Our camps promote independence and community through challenge and fun. An experience not be missed!
Camp Cheif Hector Site:
The Camp Chief Hector site is located just an hour outside of Calgary in Bow Valley Wildlands Provincial Park. This camp is full of adventure.
Browse our 2021 Summer Camp Program Guide
A note about Camp Chief Hector YMCA
Dear Camp Chief Hector YMCA Families,
As you know, we have been enthusiastically planning and preparing for our 2021 summer camp season while regularly monitoring public health information. We have been hopeful that we would be able to operate Camp Chief Hector as an overnight camp this summer and our team has been doing everything possible to prepare.
However, we are saddened to share our difficult decision to suspend our Traditional Overnight Camp programs for the 2021 Summer season, our second straight summer without camp as we know and love it.
Our first priority at the YMCA has always been to keep our campers, families, staff, and communities safe, and this remains the primary focus in all of our decisions. Being this close to the summer season with current provincial guidelines not yet permitting overnight camps to operate, the logistics of opening and preparing our site and programs, as well as managing other obstacles caused by the pandemic, it is now clear that we are unable to deliver a traditional camp experience this summer to our campers. We are hopeful that traditional overnight camp can resume in 2022.
First, some exciting news!
We are excited to share our plans for our 2021 Summer Programs at Camp Chief Hector. Public health permitting, families have the opportunity to experience Camp Chief Hector YMCA together and participate in an outdoor experience that families and campers are surely missing. See more details below, but first a word on your fees.
What are the next steps?
All July and August 2020 traditional overnight camps are cancelled at this time. Campers that chose to ‘roll over’ their registration in 2020 have four options this year:
Draw Nearer: Help Keep Camp Chief Hector Around for the Next 90 Years
Established in 1930, this has been one of our most challenging years yet for Camp Chief Hector YMCA. The pandemic has significantly impacted our ability to run our well-loved overnight summer camp and outdoor education school program resulting in little-to-no revenue for the second straight year.
The temporary closure of camp, and loss of revenue, is causing significant financial challenges.
As a charity, we rely on annual revenue to cover the operational costs of running our camp. Expenses related to facility maintenance, groundskeeping, horse care and essential staff remain.
To help our camp remain strong, and sustainable, we are asking our Camp Chief Hector YMCA family to help us by donating or registering for a 2021 camp.
We ask you to draw nearer to camp and support us in any of the following ways.
- Donate your summer registration fee. Click here to donate
- Become a Camp Chief Hector TEAM UP monthly donor. Learn more here
- Participate in our 50/50 Raffle – details coming soon!
- Register for a day camp or family getaway camp by clicking here.
- Register for Camp Chief Hector YMCA’s 90th celebration Sept. 11-12, 2021 – details coming soon!
We thank you for the trust, patience, flexibility and understanding as we follow the guidelines set forth to keep Albertans safe and healthy. We can’t wait to have everyone back at camp this summer, and hope that your campers will also be able to join us for a traditional overnight camp experience before long