A BIG thanks and Qwanoes OPEN HOUSE this Saturday!

A BIG thanks goes out to all those who were a part of our Family Work Weekend and Qwanoes Day of Prayer! Everywhere I look you can see the evidence of the hard working team who helped get Qwanoes even more ready for the summer.

Gathering up in the morning to start our day in prayer.

Saturday was a very BIG day as more than 225 people gathered at our fireside to start off the day in prayer. Normally when you sit at the fireside everyone faces towards the centre, but not this time! We all gathered in a circle and looked out at other parts of Qwanoes and visualized all our campers around camp. We lifted up prayers on everything we were looking at and visualizing, from campers on the blob, playing in the carpetball hut, lining up for a meal, heading over to Q-Town, to running of those buses! What a great way to get focused for the day and why we are all here!

Lots of painting happened during the day!

From there teams poured out all over Qwanoes to tackle many, MANY projects in getting ready for the summer! To name just a few… staining of the new Huckleberry Hideout bathroom, doubling the size of our carpetball hut, clearing the weeds around the stairs to the beach, adding another row to our fireside, painting tables, creating the summer kitchen, weeding the volleyball court, cleaning chairs & windows, spreading wood chips in the challenge course, cleaning cabins, cleaning buses, and the list could go on and on! As you can imagine everyone was exhausted by the end, but it was a fabulous day of serving the Lord together at Qwanoes!

Praying at one of the Sky Ridge Cabins.

We ended the day right back at the fireside in prayer just as we started, rejoicing in all that was accomplished! We then walked around Qwanoes praying at different areas together about what God is going to do this summer. The day wasn’t over yet! Next was a delicious dinner, family games, a great fireside with S’mores and finally ending our night with video highlights of our day in Q-Town! Thank you to all those who came out and joined the team!

Come and see for yourself! This Saturday is the annual Qwanoes OPEN HOUSE! Grab you sunscreen & bathing suit and come on down to the Qwanoes beach! The whole waterfront is ready for you, from rocket rides to the giant slide! Or head into the forest and challenge a friend to a race down the “Screamer!” There is so much to do from the skateboard park, sports court, archery, climbing tower and more! We will even have a special OPEN HOUSE Q-Town just for you. There is no cost to the whole day, so come be our guest and join us for lunch and dinner too! All you need to do is let us know you are coming. Go online and get all the details, including transportation options for those on the mainland.

Experience Qwanoes Beach for yourself! Come be our guest!

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Family work weekend here we come!

We had a great weekend here at Qwanoes during our Staff Leadership Orientation time. There was a time of team building, looking at the heart of Qwanoes and of course, great leadership training. We can’t wait to have all the staff and our campers here soon!

Family Work Weekend is coming up this week and we will have just over 200 people here on the grounds helping prepare Qwanoes for our campers and at the same time having some fun as a family! We still have some spots left! If you are interested please check out the website for details and give Qwanoes a call to let us know you would like to come.  This event is FREE, we would love to have you here a part of it all! Not only will there be a great time of serving, but you’ll experience fun games, firesides, tasty food, quality family time and more!

Can’t make it to the Family Work Weekend? Then come on over as our guest to the Qwanoes Open House on June 12th! This event is FREE! Just give us a call to let us know you are coming and if you are needing a ride from the ferry terminal. Bus transportation is on us and we will be meeting both the 7:45 am and 10:15 am sailings to Duke Point. Check out our website for all the details! Come try our activities, meet our staff, experience a special opening Q-Town and hear some of our new songs! It’s time to experience Qwanoes for yourself!

Ever wonder what the inside of the Qwanoes Blob looks like? Now you know!
Saturn being pulled by our head lifeguard!

We are getting ready for all our campers! From the entrance sign to the waterfront, we are getting everything ready for another great summer season! I was just down at the waterfront today and the Aqua Park is almost all set up! We have staff down there right now working really hard to make sure everything is ready to go. Check back soon to see pictures of our brand NEW Castaway Castle, coming soon to Qwanoes beach!

Took a walk over to Huckleberry Hideout and as you can see the NEW bathroom is looking great! You Huckleberry Hideout girls are going to absolutely love this bathroom!

Huckleberry Hideout NEW Bathroom coming along great!

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Family Retreat a big hit!

This past weekend was our annual Family Retreat!

Family Retreat Games! Good thing I like Spaghetti!

We were a packed house with lots of families joining us for the weekend. Everywhere I looked there were families enjoying one another from Pacific Woods Lodge to Q-Town! What a great weekend for families to step into a whole new world at Qwanoes and spend time with each other and God.

Every morning we kicked off the day with a BIG breakfast, pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, hash-browns and all the fixings! The families would come in and sit down together as a family and the staff would serve the families at their table. All the parents were loving not having to lift a finger as everything was taken care of for them! I saw one camper stack up four waffles one morning with whip cream and berries…he was in Heaven!

Q-Towns were very special as we got to hear a few of the brand new songs from the NEW album “Out Of This World”! My favorite new one I heard was the one with the Hawaiian sound! I couldn’t get it out of my head all day! “Oh Oh Oh on the Island” – If you are coming this summer, you will love hearing Russ “The Squirrel” on his ukulele…Island style!

Dan Ost speaking at the Family Retreat.

Every morning and night there were programs for all ages! The smaller kids headed up to the Sky Deck for an awesome space theme program that they rotated through. The adults stayed up in Club Coco for a challenging message and worship. Later on that morning the whole camp came together to enjoy some fun family games!

Afternoons were of course filled with all our Qwanoes activities! So many choices and so much free time, it was great watching moms and daughters and fathers and sons enjoying the Challenge Course together!

Fireside times were also a big hit with funny skits, singing, powerful dramas, challenging messages and of course S’mores! (Oh – and no one will ever forget watching Dan join the ‘Lunks bobsled team!)

If this sounds like something you are interested in, it’s not too late!

Two great family programs coming up soon!
Family Work Weekend #2: June 4-6
A whole week at Qwanoes with your family! Aug 1-7

Qwanoes Fireside during the Family Retreat!

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Three events kicked off all at the same time!

So many great things happened this past weekend at Qwanoes!

On Friday night we had three events kick off at the same time!

Young Adults Retreat – The retreat was a partnership of Qwanoes and “Ethos” the Young Adults ministry of Coquitlam Alliance church. Anticipation for the weekend had been building for weeks and then it was finally here! As the buses rolled-in the fireworks went off and the music was pumping from the qrok tower! What a great start to the weekend! “Jonny Mo” (Jon Morrison) was the speaker for the weekend and he did a great job!  So many great things happened on the retreat from activities like the “Sky Scraper” to great food and fellowship on our Sky Deck. One of the highlights on the weekend was on the last night of the retreat when everyone made their way down to a special mug-up at the qrok tower – smores, cinnamon buns and hot chocolate! After filling up on mug-up we went down to the campfire for some great worship, skits and sharing about what God is doing in our lives. What a fantastic weekend!

CIT Training – The first CIT (Counselor In Training)  event launched on Friday night! It was a fun weekend of learning the ropes in the challenge course! Many had the opportunity to belay someone up the climbing tower or send someone down the “Screamer”! The weekend was also full of tasty mug-up times and deep training and sharing times on the role of a CIT during the summer. Thanks to all our CIT’s who came out and we look forward to having you back soon!

Camp Counselor Seminar - Beautiful day to have a session outside!

Counselor Training Seminar – The third event of the weekend was a seminar for a group of 2010 counselors! The seminar covered topics from leading evening cabin devotions to tips on being a great camp counselor. The excitement is building every day as we get closer and closer to our first camp of the summer. We can’t wait to have all our campers here soon!

We are looking forward to the Family Retreat coming up this weekend! Stay tuned!

Coming up next!
Family Retreat: May 21-24
Family Work Weekend #2: June 4-5

NEW Huckleberry Hideout Bathroom - Under Construction! Coming soon to Summer 2010!

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Young Adults Retreat coming up this weekend!

What a great weekend at Qwanoes!

The Warmland Crofton Youth Group came in on Friday night to get ready for their workday on Saturday. It was a great time of working together and getting Qwanoes ready for all our campers who will soon be here! The weather was so nice, the guys did a sleep-out on the dock! Stevie-G was leading the group and even spent the night on the dock joining in on the adventure!

Other happenings included a Qwanoes board meeting at our Guest House, our first ever Health Care Workshop, and our annual Music Team Workshop! Our new theme song “Out Of This World” was rocking inside Club Coco and all over camp for the very first time!

This week we will have even more summer staff making their way to Qwanoes as they join “Advance Crew” and all the preparation that is underway in getting ready for our campers!

Young Adult Retreat is happening at Qwanoes this weekend!  It’s not too late to sign up!

Mellow-out and retreat with friends! This will be the place! Take some time to yourself or with friends and just step back from the rush of life and relax in a beautiful setting right on the ocean.

Take your faith deeper! That’s what the Young Adults Retreat is all about. Jon Morrison (“Jonny Mo”) will be our speaker and his passion to follow Christ is contagious. Prepare for an awesome time to reflect on what’s really important and go deeper in your faith.

Looking for adventure? Qwanoes land activities will be in full swing. Step into the challenge course and experience high-thrill activities like our Screamer and SkyScraper…hangout at our concrete skate park or sand volleyball court…explore Maple Mountain…or just relax at the beach.

Who’s it for? From high school grads up to late twenty’s…all are welcome!

Want the details? Mark your calendar for May 14-16. Go online to find out more and to register: http://www.qwanoes.ca/retreats/youngadult/

Coming up next!
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16
Family Retreat: May 21-24
Family Work Weekend #2: June 4-5

Qwanoes and families coming together!

This past weekend at a glance!

Qwanoes women's retreat!

The women’s retreat went really well! The sun was shining, the fellowship was wonderful and everyone was impacted by what Grace Fox our speaker shared.

The first of our many training workshops took place and it was a good time for new summer staff to get trained and ready for the summer!

Qwanoes was at SouthRidge Baptist Church this past Sunday and we enjoyed connecting with many people about all the opportunities that are coming up right here at camp very soon.

Qwanoes and families!

Parents are you looking for a way to spend some quality time together as a family? Then Qwanoes family programs are just for you! Step into an unforgettable and refreshing family program at Qwanoes. Experiences like this are where great memories are made that will last a lifetime!

Our family programs offer something for everyone and we mean everyone! Great food, no cleaning, complimentary baby-sitting, quality program and activities and adventures for all ages! Visit our website to get all the info on Qwanoes family programs.

Here are two we would like to highlight!

Open House. (June 12 – FREE) You are invited to be our guest for the day! All are welcome and there is so much to do. Meet our staff. Try a few of our 75 activities for yourself. Enjoy our very first Q-Town of the summer, plus a free lunch and BBQ dinner! This will be an unforgettable day. (We even provide free bus transportation from the Duke Point ferry terminal.) Experience a great Vancouver Island Summer Camp for a day and see what it’s all about!

Family Work Weekend. (June 4-6 – FREE ) Have you ever been on a mission’s trip? This weekend is a chance for you to experience just that…and as a family. A great blend of Qwanoes fun, friends, Q-Town and being a part of the Qwanoes team by helping to get ready for the summer! Go online to our website to get all the info and see some great pictures that say it all!

Coming up soon!
Summer work weekend #1: May 7-8
Music Team Workshop & Health Care Workshop: May 7-8
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16
Family Retreat: May 21-24

Come to the open house and experience the Qwanoes challenge course!

It’s not too late to save! HST is coming this Friday.

We had a great time visiting Richmond Baptist and North Valley Baptist last Sunday! Everyone was so welcoming and excited to hear about all the things happening at Qwanoes and how they can get plugged in.  I’d like to send a shout out to Pastor Jeff from Richmond for taking me out to lunch! This Friday we will be at BC Christian Acadamy, come by and say hello!

Summer Camp Vancouver Island Kids Camp
NEW - Brochure and Poster in the mail!

Our NEW full-length Qwanoes brochure is in the mail and will be in your hands shortly! Inside the brochure you will find our new “Out Of This World” poster and maybe even a photo of  YOU or someone you remember from camp! It contains all our summer camp programs and more!

We would like to help you avoid the new HST tax and save 7% on your camp registration fees.

IMPORTANT NEWS: As you are aware, the BC Government is introducing the HST (harmonized sales tax) effective July 1, 2010.

If you sign up for camp no later than April 30, 2010, and pay the registration fee in full, you only need to pay the GST of 5%…and this will save you 7% of tax! BUT HERE’S THE KEY…the full payment must be received no later than April 30.

For additional information regarding HST please see our HST info page.

As always, we’re glad to answer any questions you might have. Of course, you can always register anytime on our website: http://www.qwanoes.ca/register

Yes – it’s almost time to put the boats in the water, turn up the sound in Q-Town and bake 800 cookies for our first summer mugup. New adventures, new friends, and new discoveries every day…we can’t wait! Summer Staff Advance Crew starts tomorrow and that means we will now have summer staff at camp getting ready for the return of all our campers!

Coming up soon!

Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16
Family Retreat: May 21-24

Summer Kids Camp Vancouver Island summer camp
Qwanoes NEW brochure and poster on the way to your house!

A weekend of celebration!

It was our Kaléo graduation this past weekend and 28 students celebrated with friends, family, staff and our local church community! It all started on Friday night with the students heading to Victoria for a special last time together and parents having a reception at our Qwanoes Guest House. Many parents came from all over Canada – I actually spoke with a couple who came all the way from New Brunswick by train!

The next morning we celebrated together with three students being baptized right on Qwanoes beach! Yes, the water was cold, but it sure made for a very special and memorable way for these three students to remember their time at Kaléo.

Kaleo Graduation 2010

In the afternoon we all packed into Club Coco for the graduation ceremony.  Scott Bayley (Qwanoes Executive Director) and Merrill Dyck (Vice president at Briercrest College & Seminary) shared a few words of the impact and change that has happened in the students as well as how much they were appreciated  by the local churches. Jeremy Derksen did a fantastic job delivering the Valedictorian speech as he took us on a journey of what it was like to be a part of Kaleo 7.

Kaleo Graduation banquet

The day ended with a fabulous celebration banquet in the dining hall where everyone enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the Qwanoes kitchen staff… the desserts were everyones favorite!

If you are interested in Kaleo or know someone who might be, you can always visit us online!  There are still a few spots left for next years Kaleo program!

Qwanoes may be coming to a church near you! Last Sunday, we spread out to three different churches ( Dunbar, Sooke and Squammish Baptist)  and had a great time sharing the exciting things happening at Qwanoes. This week we will be at Campbell River Christian school, North Valley Baptist and Richmond Baptist church.  Come by and say hello to us!

Coming up soon!
Advance Crew for Summer Staff – starts April 28
Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16
Family Retreat: May 21-24

Kicking into high gear at Qwanoes!

There are so many exciting things happening at Qwanoes right now in preparation for summer! Advance Crew is only 14 days away and very soon there will be summer staff members here on the grounds getting ready for all our campers!

New rock going up on Pacific Woods Lodge right now!

New for summer 2010! As you can see from the picture, the Pacific Woods Lodge rock is going on the columns and it will all be ready for when you get here!

There’s a brand-new bathroom for Huckleberry Hideout! We just staked out the site for the new bathroom for our Huckleberry Hideout girls cabin village, and the building is going to be great!

Music video road trip to Calgary and back!

BREAKING NEWS! Stevie-G and Russ “the squirrel” are on a road trip right now to Calgary and back! They are shooting a music video for our “Out Of This World” summer 2010 theme song, which is all part of celebrating 15 years of Q-Town music!

Tents on the Sky Deck Tent put up today!

Our Sky Deck tents were just put up and we will soon be rolling out the tables and chairs!  There is so much activity going on right now and we can’t wait to have all our campers back enjoying a meal under the Sky Deck tents very soon.

Coming up soon!
Kaléo Grad coming up on April 17th
Advance Crew for Summer Staff – starts April 28
Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2
Young Adults Retreat: May 14 – 16

Celebrating 15 years of New & Original Music For Youth – article in BC Christian News!

BC Christian news has published an article on Qwanoes! Here is a brief excerpt from the article and then you can click on the link to read more!

“Music is God’s idea and it is one of the trademarks and traditions of a week here at Qwanoes. And it has been right from the start. Music is woven into the fabric of each day, and campers love it!

Since 1995 Qwanoes has produced original music filled with vision, hope and life. Our world needs some extra hope right now…it needs a vision for what real life is meant to be, and CAN be with Christ. We all it “life like no other” around here and Q-Town music is FILLED with this message.”

Article continues… http://www.canadianchristianity.com/bc/bccn/0410/25qwanoes.html

Qwanoes is coming to Greater Vancouver! On Tuesday we will be at Valley Christian School in Mission and on Tuesday night we will be at Ladner Church visiting with Awana! Be sure to stop by and say hi, we would love to see you!

Russ Smith, aka “The Squirrel,” is back in the studio this week cranking on some new songs for the new Q-Town Album called “OUT OF THIS WORLD.”

Sneak Peek Just For Q-Life Readers: Next week stand-by for some very exciting news as “Stevie-G” and “The Squirrel” head off on a road trip all the way to Calgary! This is all part of a new music video for the new album being released this summer!

Special Announcements and important dates!

Kaleo Grad coming up on April 17th

Advance Crew for Summer Staff – starts April 28

Women’s Retreat – April 30 to May 2