Memories of KBK

This is something I just published on our staff blog on our church website:

This past Saturday was a 60th Anniversary celebration for Katepwa Baptist Kamp. KBK is part of the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC), same as we are at Westhill, which makes KBK 'our' camp.

The banquet was held at a location that was NOT the camp in order to seat the 300 people we hoped to have out, and we sold out our 300 tickets and filled the Balgonie Multiplex with people that love KBK and appreciate that rich history, including people that came from Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario just for this.

For me, (and I'm sure most others there) the camp site itself is special. I remember leading a group up Vesper to the crosses as part of a prayer exercise I led at a retreat. I remember the feel of the icy water when we went wakeboarding in October one year. I remember hours pruning back the mountain bike trails, and sleeping under the stars up on Mini Ridge. I remember sitting on the lodge balcony watching storms come up and put on a sky filling display.

While the site itself is special, most of my memories are tied up with people, too.

I remember watching my nephew try kneeboarding for the first time on the beach, and my daughter's first steps there. I remember all the female staff that I camped out with at the bivouac, and how our dog Kizzy joined us there. I remember 'becoming dates' and a first kiss and a proposal and a first home there. I remember the feeling of parental pride as I saw the same faces move from being campers to LITs to staff to directors, and knowing that that growth is the whole point of all the fun. I remember the Sunday afternoons dropping off my own daughter at camp and visiting my own camp friends who are dropping off their children.

It was a wonderful time on Saturday to see so many faces that I know and love because of that place. Wonderful to see people stand who had been part of the first camp in 1949. Wonderful to hear the dreams for the future, and see new babies that will grow up to be campers and staff and on the board... and continue on this great part of God's story.