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Overview Typical Day Health + Safety

Here are some of the most common questions from parents:

How does camper Drop-Off work on Sunday?

Take Highway #1 West to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. Follow the signs to the passenger drop-off area.  The camp staff will be there to meet you, wearing brightly coloured Camp Douglas Staff T-Shirts and standing under a big “Camp Douglas” sign. Some parents/caregivers will have “tuck”, t-shirt or registration money to give the Administrator. Some parents/caregivers will have medications to give to the First Aid person. The First Aid person will also receive any additional health instructions or dietary requirement information from you at that time. Luggage will be put into a nearby luggage van. You will also have a chance to meet your camper’s Cabin Leaders and other staff.

Once your children have been signed in, the Camp Douglas experience begins! Camp Douglas Staff and volunteers will accompany your children on the 40-minute ferry ride to the Sunshine Coast. Please do not send spending money for the ferry ride with your child. There will be a bus waiting on the other side to take them to Camp Douglas. The luggage van follows behind. If you need to drop your child off at the camp in Roberts Creek, please call the week before to make arrangements. Contact us!

How does camper Pick-up work on Friday?

On Friday, after campers have enjoyed a morning of activities, packed and cleaned their cabins, they will place their luggage on a luggage van and they will hop aboard a school bus to the Langdale Ferry Terminal. The campers will have a brown-bag dinner with them and will be accompanied by their Cabin Leaders and other staff onto the ferry. Many of the campers wish to spend any extra “tuck” money they may have on the ferry – please talk this over with your camper so that he or she knows what they are allowed to do with any extra money (feel free to instruct the Administrator of your wishes at Drop-off time). Once the ferry has arrived in Horseshoe Bay, the campers and staff will go to the passenger drop-off area (the same place they were checked in on Sunday) to meet you. If someone other than yourself is picking up your camper, please let us know ahead of time. The person picking up the camper will need to sign him or her out with the Administrator. Luggage can be picked up from the nearby luggage van.

Once the campers are signed out, you are invited to join some of our staff for a casual light dinner of wraps and snacks on the lawn near the ferry terminal. We know that you may have just driven through some rush-hour traffic and might like to have a snack to get you through the drive home. Also, this is a great time to meet some of your camper’s new friends, other parents/caregivers and more of our staff. Of course we understand if you would like to head off home right away!

Finally, sometimes ferries are late – we often do not know this until it is too late to make alternate arrangements. If you would like a courtesy call concerning a possible late ferry please be sure to provide a cell phone number you can be reached at on Friday afternoon/evening. We will do our best to keep you informed of changes to ferry schedules. Inquiries can be made once you arrive at the ferry terminal as to whether the ferries are running on time.

When are the Drop-off and Pick-up Times?

Drop-off occurs on Sunday between 2:00 pm and 2:15 pm. Please note that we do not sign in children earlier than 1:50 pm so please come prepared to wait until sign-in begins.

Pick-up occurs on Friday at 5:00 pm. Please note that this time is more of an estimate as sometimes the ferry runs behind schedule. We will try to update parents/caregivers if there is a substantial delay in the ferry schedule.
Family Camp is our only exception!  Families are asked to arrive at camp before the first dinner meal. Check with your registration details to find the best ferry to take on that day.

Can I send my camper mail while he or she is at camp?

YES!! Mail Call is a daily highlight for many campers; please do consider sending a message to your camper, one for each day of the week if you like!  You may wish to leave letters for your camper with the Camp Administrator at drop-off time. He or she will distribute them through out the week. Or you may send email messages during the week to your camper. We print and distribute messages each day - with so many campers to serve, we ask that you limit your messages to one per camper per day – thank you in advance. Please use administrator@campdouglas.ca

Can I call my son or daughter while he or she is at Camp Douglas?

You are welcome to leave a message on our voice mail and if the matter is important, we will ensure that your camper calls you back as quickly as possible. Phone calls for general chit-chat are not encouraged as it becomes difficult to manage enough time for all our many campers - we like to keep them engaged in the activities of the camp! Rest assured that campers needing to call home will be allowed to do so.  

What will my camper eat while he or she is at Camp Douglas?

Here at Camp Douglas we understand the importance of fueling our bodies with food to nourish us throughout the day. We offer comfort style food so campers get a taste of home while away. Along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we also offer an evening snack (“Mug-Up”). The kitchen staff work hard to prepare a variety of options for breakfast in order to give our campers a positive start to their day. Lunches and dinners bring fun twists on classic camp foods such as taco salad and sloppy joes. Themed meals bring fun and amusement to the dining hall. Camp Douglas endeavors to send all campers away from the table with a full belly. We offer vegetarian options upon request at registration.

What about my campers’ special dietary concerns?

Camp Douglas is a NUT-FREE ZONE to ensure the safety of all of our campers, visitors and staff with nut allergies. We work hard to be nut free, but we can not guarantee a nut-free site. If snacks are brought by campers with nuts, they are removed from the cabin and returned to the parents/caregivers at the end of the week. We do not allow foods containing nuts in our kitchen at any time.

 Please let us know at registration time what your camper’s dietary needs are. You may also choose to send along some special snacks and meal alternatives to supplement what we offer. If you have further concerns, please contact us at office@campdouglas.ca.

What if my camper is just a picky eater?

Camp Douglas is “picky eater friendly”. We offer bread, jam, nut-free spreads, fruit and veggies at every meal for those who just don’t find what we’ve prepared appetizing. Even our staff opt for alternatives sometimes (can you believe “Weezie” doesn’t like pizza?) With our responsible Cabin Leaders eating at each table, we ensure that everyone eats enough to keep themselves going through the week. Picky eaters often find that after a couple days of extra exercise and excitement they are more willing to try new foods.

What is your staff to camper ratio? 

Camp Douglas has a high staff to camper ratios of 1 staff for every 3 campers.

How often will my camper swim and how safe is your waterfront?

Swimming is a daily activity at Camp Douglas. While campers are encouraged to enjoy the water, there are times when they may choose to stay dry. Reading, playing guitar, taking pictures and creek wading are also encouraged during waterfront time.

Water safety is taken very seriously at Camp Douglas. Our Waterfront Director and Waterfront Assistants have current National Lifesaving Service (NLS) certification and a current Standard First-Aid/CPR-C certification. We adhere strictly to the accreditation standards of the British Columbia Camping Association concerning water safety.

All swimmers must do a swim test with the Waterfront Director upon arrival at Camp Douglas. Small Fry campers must wear well-fitted life vests at all times while on the waterfront. As well, older campers who are not accomplished ocean swimmers wear life vests while swimming.  We find that so many swimmers enjoy the life vests that no one camper feels singled out for wearing one – in fact some of our staff wear life vests with the express purpose of helping campers feel comfortable in theirs. All swimmers who wish to swim to our small swim platform must wear life vests and be accompanied by staff.

All staff and volunteers must also pass a swim test. Cabin Leaders are expected to be in arm’s reach of campers while in the water. Campers are partnered with other campers as swim buddies. Your camper and his or her swim buddy will have skills and swimming interests that match. Swim buddies are trained to “buddy check” and to communicate with each other and their Cabin Leaders before leaving the water or the beach. The swimming area is marked by buoy lines and inspected for safety before each swimming period.