A group of Camp Vincent kids jump into a pool. (Photo courtesy of campvincent.com.)A group of Camp Vincent kids jump into a pool. (Photo courtesy of campvincent.com.)
Chatham

Camp Vincent reopening this summer

A summer camp in Bothwell is gearing up to welcome back campers this summer.

The 69-acre wooded camp has been dormant since March 2020, when COVID-19 closed the facility.

Connie Badour, who is the president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Kent Deanery, said staff took advantage of that time to complete some major renovations around the facility.

"We did some fundraising in order to bring some of the buildings up to cold," said Badour. "The camp is old, some of the buildings needed to be upgraded."

The 51-year-old camp is located just outside of Bothwell, approximately 10 kilometres east of Thamesville. The property houses eight cabins with 10 bunks, an indoor dining hall, recreational areas, a pool, and more.

"A large integral part of our camp is our weekly themes," said Badour. "Each week is centred around a specific theme, storyline, and characters which drives the week’s traditional and non-traditional activities."

The all-inclusive camp for children aged 6-15, will be open this summer with weekly sessions beginning July 10 and ending August 26. There is also a shorter session from August 2-5, which will be for the youngest campers.

"We are very excited," said Badour. "We can't wait to get back to normal and have the children who have been cooped up because of COVID for two years getting into the fresh air and experiencing the outdoors."

Badour said there is a leader-in-training program for campers aged 14-16, as well as employment opportunities for university students and older staff.

The upcoming open house at the camp is on Saturday, June 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information about the camp and registration can be found here.

Read More Local Stories