This area has a real gem in its midst, and it’s called the Gavin Lake Forest Education Centre.
For years now the Gavin Lake Forest Education Society and its board of directors has been enabling hundreds, maybe even thousands of our area’s youth to learn about the outdoors where they should — outdoors.
The centre is a year-round camp featuring many school programs where students learn, play and explore in its wilderness setting.
At about this time every year some lucky Grade 6 students from across the district make the annual pilgrimage to Gavin Lake with sleeping bags in hand and pillows under arms.
The trip is an all-expenses paid, three-day journey where students sleep in cabins by night and partake in modules during the day such as Camping 101, The Perfect Stream, Archery, Compass Course and Wetlands to name a few.
The camp teaches other valuable lessons as well, such as having good manners and picking and cleaning up after yourself, not to mention being taught how not to waste food or throw recyclables in the garbage.
For some students and parents Gavin Lake is often those first overnight steps away from home, and for some, a first introduction into enjoying the outdoors.
For many of the students Grade 6 camp is also about making memories. It is that last tender year or two before becoming a teen.
As far as we know Gavin Lake is the only free camp left of its kind in the province.
The folks running the camp strongly believe in providing the service free of charge so that all schools and students, regardless of their demographics and economic circumstance, have an equal opportunity to participate.
These types of important facilities don’t run themselves.
It is through the hard work and dedication of its members, board of directors and camp director/manager Mike Tudor that make experiences like Gavin Lake possible.
These dedicated people have managed with great success to steer the camp through tough economic times and are going as strong as ever with their vision of educating youth so we can have a sustainable, healthy environment into the future.
Congratulations are in order to the society as well as the many local businesses and private citizens who make Gavin Lake possible.
Thanks for the memories.