Camp Likely (Likely, British Columbia, Canada)
Camp Likely, located on the shores of Quesnel Lake near Likely (52.616667, -121.563611 [52° 37′ 0″ N, 121° 33′ 49″ W]), north-east of Williams Lake in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, is one of five Mennonite Brethren (MB) camps in the province.
The Mennonite Brethren vision for Christian camping in British Columbia began with Bible school instructor Abe H. Wieler, preacher Peter D. Loewen, and schoolteachers Jack Block and Bill A. Wiebe in the mid-1950s. Following the rejection of several proposals and much disagreement over whether a Christian camp should be established, the executive committee of the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches granted Wieler, chair of an interim camp committee, permission to establish a fund for the purchase of camp property, provided that the property would not have swimming facilities. What began as a single operation grew in time to include five camps throughout the province.
Initially, Camp Likely was launched in 1975 by Jim and Sharon Potter as a ministry of the Likely Chapel, with a vision to reach the surrounding community for Christ. By 1991, the church had organized a Camp Society. Five years later, the church, with support from the Likely community, was able to lease a seven-acre site on Quesnel Lake with water frontage. Soon after, rustic cabins and other necessary infrastructure were added.
In 2005 the Cariboo Bethel Church in Williams Lake, BC, was asked to take over management of the camp. Feeling overwhelmed by such a large commitment, this church began negotiations, through its Board of Camp Ministries, chaired by Arthur Loewen of Chilliwack, BC, with the BC MB Conference. Shortly thereafter, the BC MB Conference assumed responsibility for operating Camp Likely, with ongoing local support. The first Camp Likely Board included Elmer Thiessen of the Williams Lake congregation as chair, and Cathy Chernoff, Jim Potter, Victor Stobbe, Scott Fraser, and Cindy Outhouse as board members. Representing the BC MB Conference were Arthur Loewen, Faith Dahl, and Harry Edwards. During the 2006 camping season, Harry Edwards, Director of Stillwood Camp and Conference Centre, provided the councilors. Since 2007, Camp Likely has hired directors to run the camp.
Camp Likely continues to serve communities surrounding the town of Williams Lake as a center for wholesome activities for children. With the addition of new cabins, Camp Likely now can accommodate 48 campers, plus the required staff.
Bibliography
Loewen, Arthur. “Camp Likely.” Personal e-mail (2022).
Loewen, Arthur. Interview by author. Chilliwack, BC. (2022).
Welti, Karl. “Camp Likely History.”
Additional Information
Address (Office): 833 Western Avenue, Williams Lake BC V2G 2J5
Phone: 250-267-8654
Website: https://www.camplikely.com/
| Author(s) | David Giesbrecht |
|---|---|
| Date Published | May 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Giesbrecht, David. "Camp Likely (Likely, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2023. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Camp_Likely_(Likely,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175654.
APA style
Giesbrecht, David. (May 2023). Camp Likely (Likely, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Camp_Likely_(Likely,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175654.
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