The Nanaimo Branch is hosting seven weeks of summer day-camps for kids eight to 12 beginning July 12! Our camps are based at Forest Park Elementary school with lots of connections to the Nanaimo shelter, plus a field trip to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks in Parksville.

During the week, campers are immersed in animal-themed activities and are challenged, in fun and engaging ways, to learn about responsible animal care, animal facts and to develop positive, respectful relationships between people, animals and nature. They leave feeling inspired to be ambassadors for animals in their community.

The activities each day range from active field games to quiet hands-on "take action" projects and include games, crafts, skits, guest speakers and time with animals. All of our activities have been designed by the BC SPCA to incorporate positive animal welfare messages.

Time with Animals 

Of course most participants say that their favorite part of camp is spending time with animals. In order to provide a full learning experience and to ensure the well-being of the animals in our care, time spent with animals is usually limited to approximately 1 hour/day.

Participants will have an opportunity to interact with cats and small animals in the shelter that have been determined to be suitable by the shelter staff. For safety reasons, campers will not interact directly with dogs in the shelter. Instead, campers will interact with dogs belonging to staff members. All dogs attending camp have been temperament tested by BC SPCA animal welfare professionals.

2010 Schedule and Location

Camps start at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m, Monday to Friday (or Tuesday to Friday, from August 3-6).  Unfortunately, we are not able to offer before and after camp care at this time.

Registration

$150 (or $120 for Aug 3-6) BC SPCA Kids Club members

$170 (or $140 for Aug 3-6) Non-Kids Club member (includes a one-year Kids Club membership)

To register, click on the link for your preferred camp session (above) to access our online registration system. 

A limited number of bursaries may be available to low income families to subsidize the camp fee. To request a bursary application or to find out more about sponsoring a child to attend camp please call 604-599-7209 (Monday to Friday).

Ages

We accept campers between the ages of 8-12. Kids younger than 8 or older than 12 will not find the activities and information at their interest level. 

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on Summer Camps and other Youth Programs, please visit our FAQ page, email us or call 250-686-1581 (Monday to Friday).