Information for Parents

Summer camp at Gull Lake Centre is an experience unlike any other.

Gull Lake is a place where children and youth can grow, learn and explore in a safe, relational and fun environment, surrounded by supportive and guiding role models. We’ve been creating space for campers for over 100 years, and we’re looking to share it with you and your child this year.

BEFORE YOU REGISTER:

In order to complete the registration you will need to make sure you have your child’s AB Healthcare card available to complete our medical forms.

You will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $25 to complete the registration, which will reserve your child’s spot at camp. To guarantee the spot, the online registration and the deposit payment must be completed. If the registration is incomplete a spot will not be reserved for your child.

Full payment for camps beginning in June or July is due by June 1, and for camps starting in August, the due date is July 1.

AFTER YOU REGISTER:

Three weeks before your camp begins, you will receive a welcome email, giving you all the details that you need to get ready for camp, including drop off and pick up times, what to pack and other details related to your week at camp.  You can also find lots of information below, but don’t hesitate to email us or call us with any questions that you might have!

Summer Camps Check-In & Pick-Up Times

Check-In is between 4 and 5pm. 

Do not come early please… I know you want to because you are SO excited, but we can’t handle early arrivers.  Our staff will be in a meeting.  

Pick-Up is at 1:30pm … BUT

We have a send-off that parents are welcome to attend (that you don’t want to miss) at 1:15pm! 

 

Please do not bring any pets to drop off or pick up even if they are your best friend in the whole world.  We love our furry friends, but camp is not a good place for them. 

Summer Theme: Rise Up

Our Summer theme for 2025 is “Rise Up”. Everything at camp will revolve around the theme; the games will narrate an epic story, the costumes and decorations transporting you to a different era, and the amazing soundtracks will get you to Rise Up.

Stay tuned in the spring for more information regarding the theme!

We spend almost all day outside at Gull Lake because it is summer after all! Make sure your camper has outdoor shoes and clothes that they don’t mind getting a bit dirty.  We are not a “wilderness” camp, though and have plenty of indoor space if we have inclement weather as well as a big indoor gym! And remember to bring your swimsuit because we are located at a lake!!

Things to bring to camp

  • Sleeping bag & pillow

  • Facecloth & towel

  • Toothbrush & toothpaste

  • Soap & shampoo

  • Sunscreen & bug spray

  • Sleepwear

  • Extra socks & underwear

  • Shorts & t-shirts

  • Long pants & sweats

  • Jacket & sweaters

  • Costume for theme meal

  • Swimsuit & beach towel

  • Sun hat

  • Raincoat

  • Indoor & outdoor shoes

  • Water bottle

  • Teddy bear (optional)

  • Bible (optional)

  • Notebook & pen (optional)

  • Any medications (in original packaging) in a labeled Ziploc bag. (These will be collected at check-in)

Things to leave at home

  • Wallet

  • Cell Phone and electronics (these will be collected at check-in)

  • Alcohol, Cigarettes/Vapes, or Illegal Drugs

  • Knives

  • Anything containing nuts (we are a nut-sensitive campus)

  • Pets (please do not bring them to drop off or pickup either)

Cell phones and calling home

We do not allow cell phones, tablets, or any other devices at camp.  We want campers to be fully present while they are here, and connected devices pose a safety risk to us as well.  Please leave your devices at home, but if you forget and bring one it will need to be kept in the office.  If a camper ever needs to call home, they certainly can on our office landline. 

Here is a sample schedule of a week for campers aged 9-11 (Kids camp). 

We tweak them for each age, but this will give you a basic understanding of the week. 

Schedule of the Week

What to expect from check-in and pick-up

Check-In

Check-In is from 4-5pm on the first day of camp.  Some people are eager to be there early, but we don’t open registration until 4pm sharp because we have a quick turn-around from our weekend groups on Sundays and use every minute possible to be fully ready.  We have staff helping people find parking spaces upon arrival.  You can bring your luggage with you to check in if you like, but you do need to bring your medications to be turned into the first aid staff at check-in. 

If the weather is nice we have tables set up outside, if the weather is not, we set up in the gym.  We will note that you are here, and let you know what cabin you are in.  If you have medications you speak with the first aid staff, and if you need to leave money for the tuck shop or check your balance, there is a table for that. 

There are several staff around to answer questions if you need help finding your cabin.  Once you are signed in you can go to your cabin to meet your leaders and set up your bunk.  Most parents up to Sr. Teens age accompany their campers through this whole process and often help set up their bunk, and check in with the cabin leader to let them know if there is anything extra that they should know about the camper. 

Please remember that no pets are allowed during check-in.

Pick-Up

Our final activity of the camp is send-off in Memorial Hall (the big red chapel building).  Send-off begins at 1:15 sharp and parents/guardians are welcome to attend.  We sing two songs from camp and watch the week-end video.  It’s pretty awesome.  We are done by 1:30pm.  After that, we dismiss the campers to stand outside with their cabin leaders.  All campers MUST get signed out by someone who is authorized on the registration form to pick them up. If you need to add someone to the list you can change it in our registration system or call or email the office.  Again, please remember that no pets are allowed during pick-up.

How do we deal with medications at camp?

All medications are collected, distributed, and controlled by our first aid staff with the exception of epi-pens and asthma inhalers.  During drop off all medications (including vitamins, advil, gravol, etc) MUST be turned into the first aid staff who will record the proper dose, timing, and instructions.  It is the first aid staff’s job to make sure that all medications are administered properly through the camp. 

 

We have over the counter medications such as Benadryl, Tylenol, cough syrup, and Gravol, so unless your camper is taking them regularly, you don’t need to bring any common “just in case” meds. 

Food at camp

We believe in high quality, comfort food which is why we have partnered with an amazing catering service to deliver all the food we serve at camp.  All of our meals are made in the caterers’ kitchen and they take great care to offer us excellent food.

All our meals are served buffet style, with campers heading up in table groups to get their food.  Seconds are served once everyone has had their firsts.  Every evening we also offer a snack before bed that we call Mug Up.

Peanuts or other

food allergies

The caterers are willing and able to accommodate camper dietary restrictions and have considerable experience in creating high quality and tasty food with dietary restrictions.

We do not intentionally bring in peanuts to the camp because of the high number of campers and leaders who have severe, anaphylactic, nut allergies.  However, we cannot guarantee that we are nut-free and we do sell candy in our tuck shop that “may contain traces of nuts”. 

 

If you have a food allergy or dietary restrictions please make sure it is listed in your registration form.  If you have a dietary restriction listed your camper will be given a special pre-boxed meal at every meal to make sure it is separate and specific to them.  If your child only has a mild intolerance or preference, it is probably better to go through the regular food line and skip anything they don’t want.  The allergy food is carefully prepared and monitored. 

Communicable Disease Policy and Plan

We ask that all campers that come to Gull Lake be healthy upon arrival.  If anyone is showing signs of a communicable disease, we ask them to wait until their symptoms subside and they are no longer contagious before arriving at camp.  Because campers are living in close quarters, we do not want to spread communicable disease and for this reason, Gull Lake Camp reserves the right to not admit a camper to camp until they are healthy.  If your camper experiences signs of a communicable disease while at camp, we will contact their parent/guardian.

Cell Phones & Phone Calls

We do not use cell phones at Gull Lake Centre and we are going to keep it this way!  When a junior teens camper was asked if she missed having her cell phone, she responded, “No.  I don’t miss my phone. When I walk up to a circle of people, I don’t have to worry that they are all on their phones.  We can just talk instead.”   Developing the ability to have conversations and connections apart from social media is a skill that we love to develop at camp.  Everyday at Gull Lake is valuable for the development of independence, self-confidence and social skills.

If your camper is homesick at camp, we will allow them to use an office phone to call home.  We do not encourage this, however, because we find that calling home usually makes the homesickness worse.  Please do not suggest to your child that they can call you every day as a check-in because your child will be missing out on valuable cabin time where they could be developing some of these independence skills.

Cancellation Policy

The $25 minimum deposit is non-refundable. The remaining balance is refundable if registration is canceled at least 2 weeks prior to the start of camp. Refunds are not available after that point.

Cabin mate Requests

During registration, there is a spot to request cabin mates.  We know that going to camp with your friend is part of what makes camp so fun and we do everything we can to honour these requests. 

Camper Early Release

For the safety of your child, we will only release your child into the care of the parent/guardian who is named and authorized on our forms.  To spare yourself any stress or confusion, please ensure that you have updated the Pickup Authorization form in your registration account.

Bullying

Gull Lake is a safe, relational and fun space where we offer a place for campers to connect with each other, their cabin leaders and God.  To maintain this environment, we hold a tough policy on bullying.  Gull Lake will immediately send home any camper who makes camp worse for someone else through bullying, violence, whether physical or verbal, or who shows disregard for camp rules.

Getting to camp

Driving from Calgary

If northbound on Highway 2, turn WEST on Highway 12 (Bentley exit) and drive for 10 km to Junction 792 (Lincoln Road). Turn NORTH (right) and drive for 5 km to McLaurin Lane. Turn left and follow the signs!

Driving from Edmonton

If southbound on Highway 2, turn WEST on Highway 53 (Rimbey Exit) and drive for 20 km to Junction 792 (Lincoln Road). There is a school and gas station on this corner. Turn SOUTH (left) and drive for 19 km to McLaurin Lane. Turn right and follow the signs!