This ‘Parent Orientation’ page has been designed to give you a detailed idea of what your child’s week at camp will look like. From activities to accommodations, we are giving you the inside scoop on how Keats Camps keeps your child busy and safe.
Registration
Registration begins in February. We suggest that you register through any of the registration links posted on this website. Alternatively, you may print out the three-page registration form and drop it off or mail it in. Sorry, we cannot accept registrations by fax, email or over the phone.
Activities
We have many land and water-based activities to choose from, including:
Land Activities
* Climbing Wall * Mountain Biking * Skateboarding * Ropes Course * Archery * Arts & Crafts * Mountain Boarding * Volleyball * Basketball * Hiking
Water Activities
* Wakeboarding * Sailing * Canoeing * Kayaking * Windsurfing * Snorkeling * Swimming * Water Trampoline * Tubing * Inflatable water toys
Other activities enjoyed at Keats Camps include games and skits. Our games are cooperative in nature, as one of our goals is to teach campers to work in teams, and to be willing to help each other.
We provide appropriate equipment and essential safety gear for all our activities.**
All campers take a swim test on their first day. Our lifeguards will assign colour-coded bracelets to each camper based on his/her swimming ability. Based on the outcome of this test some campers will be required to wear lifejackets on the waterfront docks at all times.
**We provide helmets for Mountain Bike riders, but we do not provide body armour, knee or elbow pads; campers are welcome to bring their own. For skateboarding and mountain boarding, helmets are required and we provide them. We have wristguards, elbow and knee pads available upon request.
Accommodations
Campers in all of our camps are housed in cabins: 2 leaders and 10-12 campers per cabin. Cabins are equipped with electricity and bathrooms with hot showers. Campers are required to keep their cabins clean and the bathrooms are sanitized daily by our staff.
Adventure Campers note this change: Our Adventure camps, both Mountain Biking and Wakeboarding, will be housed in the main camp this year, in the regular camper cabins. While most meals will be eaten out on the dining deck with the main youth camp, some meals will be taken out on their “adventure.”
Health & Safety
Health and safety of our campers are at the top of our priority list. Each Youth Camp has a nurse in attendance, functioning from our “Sick Bay” building which is well stocked with emergency supplies and non-prescription medications. We also have at least one O.F.A. Level 3 on duty at all times. St. Mary’s Hospital in Sechelt is a 30 minute trip away. All staff must provide us with a Criminal Record Check, lifeguards are certified with NLS, and staff spend 2 weeks in training and preparation for the summer before camps begin. Keats Camps is accredited with the BC Camping Association.
Bullying
Keats Camps does not tolerate bullying. If our staff members recognize a problem, we will deal with it swiftly and efficiently. We suggest that prior to camp you help us by encouraging your child to report any bullying behaviours they notice or experience to their counselor or a camp leader. We will then be able to deal with the situation promptly.
Sunscreen
At Keats your child will spend a lot of time outside in the sunshine! Over the course of the day, counselors will remind campers to put on their sunscreen; however we cannot force anyone to cover up. Despite our most persistent efforts, some children will not wear sunscreen. Please spend some time with your child before camp recapping the technique and benefits of applying sunscreen!
Food
Our kitchen and dining hall easily feed all the campers, staff, and LEAD participants at one sitting. Meals are prepared in our well stocked commercial kitchen and the food is generally served buffet style, so everyone has a wide choice of food. In the summer campers are served their meals on our covered, open deck, surrounded by the Keats greenery that gives a true “camp” feel to dining. All our meals and snacks are nut free. Special dietary requests must be made in writing to the camp prior to the start of your camp.
Waiting lists
If your camp is full when you try to register please email us at keats@keatscamps.com. In the subject line write Waiting List to add your name to the list (no charge), as many camps may have spots come available over the course of the spring. Please tell us the camper’s name, grade entering in September; camp desired (name of camp and dates), parent’s name and all contact numbers. All waiting list applications need to be in writing – we’re sorry but we cannot accept waiting list requests by phone. We try to take campers off the wait list as quickly as possible, as spots open up.
Cabin Mates
One of the most frequent questions we receive is with regard to cabin mates. Friends are so important! We also have many campers who do not request a cabin mate so there are always new friends to meet at Keats. We try to make sure that each camper is housed with at least one of their cabin mate choices, although we can often manage to put small groups of friends together. We process the cabin assignments during the week before camp; any changes up to a week before camp must be made in writing or by email. We cannot make changes easily once the assignments have been made.
Privacy
We do not disclose any information from any registration form to any party other than the parent/guardian who completed the form, and the other parent/guardian whom they name on the registration form. This includes cabin mate request information. We would, of course, release medical information to a health care provider if it became necessary while the camper is in our care. For full details on our privacy policy please click the link at the bottom of this page.
Photos
We do take a lot of photos at camp and by your child’s attendance at camp you give us permission to use the photos for promotional purposes, on brochures, websites, flyers etc. We do not assign names to any photos produced.
