Skip to main content

Did you work at or attend YMCA Camp Elphinstone, Camp Howdy, Camp Deka or Camp Kanannaq?

Stay in touch with YMCA Camps and your camp friends!

 

Join the Alumni Program

 

A decades-old photo in sepia tones taken from YMCA Camp Elphinstone's dock, looking back towards the camp shore. Three boys are in a row boat near the dock.

If you were an employee, camper or parent of a camper at any of our YMCA Camps, we invite you to join our Camp Alumni Program.

Be the first to hear about upcoming events, important updates and other ways to get involved! Click below to join our mailing list and get started.

Camp Alumni Program sign-up

 

Alumni Events

 

A group of people clink wine glasses to do cheers at YMCA Camp Elphinstone

Our next alumni gathering is our Alumni Picnic & BBQ taking place July 20 at Stanley Park in Vancouver from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.!

This time of year typically brings warm and dry weather—perfect for a picnic by the water! Alumni are invited to bring their families, lawn chairs, swimsuits and non-alcoholic drinks. The YMCA will set up a shared BBQ station with plates, utensils, condiments and everything you need to enjoy a meal outdoors.

Click below to let us know if you're interested in joining us!

July 20: Alumni Picnic & BBQ

YMCA Camp Elphinstone's main field is pictured looking out towards Howe Sound. A rainbow arcs over the climbing wall.

 

Join us for Alumni Day at Camp Elphinstone on Saturday, Aug. 9!

Bring your family, revisit places from summers past and see what's changed at Camp Elphinstone since you last stopped by. No campers will be on site this day, so our alums will be welcome to enjoy lunch prepared by our Food Services team, meet with camp leadership and hear about future plans for Camp Elphinstone. Past campers and staff from YMCA Camps Deka, Howdy and Kanannaq are welcome to join us, too!

Click below to let us know if you're interested in joining us!

Aug. 9: Alumni Day at Camp Elphinstone

 

Four adults smiling on the dock at Camp Elphinstone above; a map of the Thornbrough Channel below

Thornbrough Channel Swim Challenge

Alan Woodland, our Manager of Camp Alumni Development, has volunteered to swim from New Brighton on Gambier Island across the Thornbrough Channel to Camp Elphinstone on Aug. 9! Alan will be reviving this old Elphinstone tradition during Alumni Day at YMCA Camp Elphinstone. His 2.0-km swim is meant to raise awareness of the lasting impact that camp programs have on participants and the importance of sustaining these experiences for the next generation of campers.

To make a donation in support of the Alumni Swim Challenge, please click the link below and select “Support the Alumni Swim Challenge” from the drop-down menu on the right. Donations will help provide financial assistance to access YMCA Camp Elphinstone programs for families whose campers would otherwise be unable to attend.

Support the Thornbrough Channel Swim Challenge

 

Alumni Newsletter

 

In a black-and-white photo from the 1970s, four teenage girls and one boy paddle two canoes toward shore.

Want to learn more about the latest from our YMCA Camps or updates of interest for camp alumni? Alumni Program members will receive our recurring newsletter, featuring alumni stories, upcoming alumni events and other camp news. Click below to read our current issue!

Spring 2025 Newsletter

 

Support Camp

 

Youth campers are seated around a campfire, listening to a counsellor who is standing near the fire.

Make a donation to support ongoing operations at YMCA BC Camps, or to help those without the means to attend camp to access financial assistance!

Make a Donation

 

 

 

---

 

Have questions or want to learn more? Please contact us at campalumni@bc.ymca.ca.