FAQ

Check in:

Registration begins at 7:00 pm on the opening date of each session at both sites.

Day Camp daily drop off time is at 8-8:15 am at the Canadian Mennonite University’s south parking lot (600 Shaftesbury Blvd)

Pick up and Closing Programs:

Assiniboia:          begins at 6:00 pm on the closing date of each session.

Koinonia:             begins at 1:30 pm on the closing date of each session.

Day Camp:          pick up at 5-5:15 pm daily at the Canadian Mennonite University’s south parking lot (600 Shaftesbury Blvd)

Each age group looks a little different, and every week has special activities like camp-wide games and campout in the forest, but most weeks follow a schedule similar to this. Day camp schedule is the same, but ends at 4:30pm.

Bussing is available each week to and from Camp Koinonia only. Bussing to Camp Assiniboia Day Camp info is below.

Children will be supervised on the bus by camp staff. Washroom stops will be made during the trip. Campers may bring a bag supper or buy food at the Morden Dairy Queen. Returning campers will be given a light snack for the ride home.

The bus leaves from and arrives at Mennonite Church Manitoba South Parking lot, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd then travels to Morden to pick up/drop off at the Dairy Queen.

Please arrive 30 minutes before departure.

Note: If your child is not signed up for the bus, and you would like to make use of the service, please contact the office by Wednesday of the week before.

Bus fees: $45 one way from Winnipeg, $80 round-trip
                $35 one way from Morden, $65 round-trip

Koinonia bus schedule for 2025:

July 13 – Departing from Canadian Mennonite University @ 2:45pm
July 18 – Departing Camp Koinonia @ 2:15pm
   - arriving at Canadian Mennonite University @approx. 6:15pm

July 20 – Departing from Canadian Mennonite University @ 2:45pm
July 25 – Departing Camp Koinonia @ 2:15pm
   - arriving at Canadian Mennonite University @approx. 6:15pm

Aug 4 – Departing from Canadian Mennonite University @ 2:45pm
Aug 8 – Departing Camp Koinonia @ 2:15pm
   - arriving at Canadian Mennonite University @approx. 6:15pm

Aug 17 – Departing from Canadian Mennonite University @ 2:45pm
Aug 22 – Departing Camp Koinonia @ 2:15pm
   - arriving at Canadian Mennonite University @approx. 6:15pm

Bussing to Camp Assiniboia

Day Camp includes bussing from Winnipeg to camp, and back to Winnipeg each day.

2025 Day Camp Bus Schedule:

July 14 to 18 -Depart Canadian Mennonite University(CMU) @ 8:30am
   - Arrive at CMU @ 5pm

July 21 to 25 – Depart Canadian Mennonite University(CMU) @ 8:30am
   - Arrive at CMU @ 5pm

For overnight camp:

• Sleeping bag and pillow, as well as a single bed sheet if desired
• Sufficient clothing for one week (bring clothes that can get dirty and smelly!)
• Warm clothes for the evenings (pants, socks, sweaters)
• Swimsuit and beach towel (no bikinis or speedos please)
• Footwear you can be active in! Close-toed shoes are required for many of the activities (crocs do not count!)
• Personal items: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and soap, deodorant, face cloth and towel, any other personal hygiene items
• Sunscreen and bug spray
• Bible (we have extras at camp if you don’t have one)
• Hat
• Water bottle
• Garbage bag for dirty clothes
• Backpack for campout
• Optional (but useful!): Flashlight, watch/clock, money for camp merchandise
• Medication: All camper medications will be kept with and dispensed by the health office. Please label with camper’s name and make sure they are in the original container.
• Reminder: wear clothes that you can be active in and that can get dirty! Please no clothing that is revealing or has inappropriate text or images.

For the out-trip week at Koinonia:

• Consider bringing lightweight clothing that keeps you warm when wet for the canoe trip.
• One pair of shoes that can get a little wet
• Rain jacket
• *Sturdy backpack: large enough to carry all the stuff you will need for the two-day canoe trip. It is best if this backpack has a waist strap as well – this makes carrying the canoe much easier, because the weight can rest on your hips instead of shoulders.

For day camp at Assiniboia:

• Swimsuit and beach towel (not bikinis or speedos please)
• Sunscreen and bug spray
• Water bottle
• Hat
• Bible (we have extras at camp if you don’t have one)
• Bring along, or wear close-toed shoes for archery, zipline and forest exploration (crocs do not count!)
• Medication: All camper medications will be kept with and dispensed by the health office. Please label with camper’s name and make sure they are in the original container.
• Reminder: wear clothes that you can be active in and that can get dirty! Please no clothing that is revealing or has inappropriate text or images.

Yes! Please leave any electronics (including cell phones), water guns, knives, hatchets and jewellery at home.

All camper medications will be kept with and dispensed by the health officer. Please label with camper’s name and make sure they are in the original container, or bubble packed.

Bring Home Memories, Not Unwanted Guests:

BED BUGS: In response to the growing concern in North America of Cimex lectularius (bed bugs) we have put policies and procedures in place for the prevention, detection and control of these small creatures that God created. Below are a few steps to follow to give us all more peace of mind about cimex lectularius. Wash all clothes that you are bringing to camp and run through the dryer. PRIOR TO COMING TO CAMP: Run all sleeping bags, pillows and blankets through the dryer on high heat for 20-30 min. During camp follow the instructions counselors give you (i.e. keeping dirty clothes in a plastic garbage bag) When you get home from camp run your clothes and sleeping bags through the washer and dryer (the dryer heat is more important than the wash) Let us do everything we can to reassure each other by following these simple steps. A good source for further information can be found at http://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/bedbugs/bed_bugs_fact_sheet.pdf 

LICE: Campers will be checked for lice before bussing to camp, or upon arrival. Parents must stay until lice check is complete. If lice are found, camper must go home and be treated. We will make every effort to have the camper return for a different week of camp. If that is not possible, 50% of camp fee will be reimbursed. In order to avoid this, please check your camper for lice one week before camp! Home Lice Check:  Comb through their hair with a very fine comb when hair is wet at least one week before camp starts. If you find any live lice, treat with one of the following: Isopropyl Myristate (Resultz) or 4% dimeticone (Hedrin) or R&C Lice Treatment. Do another treatment 7 days later if you find more live lice when combing through wet hair just before camp. Two treatments one week apart should result in complete cure. For more information on Head lice: www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/factsheets/headlice.pdf

For campers to be present at camp, we don’t make a habit of setting up phone calls for campers. However, we understand that camp can be nerve wracking for kids and adults alike! Here are some ways to communicate with your child during their week at camp:

• Pack a note for them to open each day

• Email the summer program directors to pass on a message to your child

  • Camp Assiniboia: campassiniboiaspd@gmail.com

  • Camp Koinonia: campkoinoniaspd@gmail.com

A 75% refund is available up to 14 days prior to camp. After that point no refund is available except for certified medical or family emergencies. No refunds issued for disciplinary dismissals or campers choosing to return home before the end of the week.

Each day at camp, campers have a chance to engage with Anabaptist faith values in a few different ways.

In the morning Bible times, we sing, hear stories from biblical times to modern day and participate in activities that align with the theme of the day. Our bible curriculum rotates on a five-year theme cycle: Knowing God and Growing in Faith, Community, Heroes of Faith, Discipleship and Peace. Our bible times often focus on justice, community and love.

During reflect, campers gather in small groups with one or two staff to do exactly that: reflect! This involves prayer practices, meditation, conversation and time to sit in the beauty of Creation.

At evening fireside, campers have a chance to hear stories from staff about how the Spirit of God has shown up in their lives.

Before bed, cabin counsellors lead devotions that invite campers to consider the theme of the day, share with each other, and pray together.

We value spiritual safety. All the above sessions are invitational in nature. While campers need to attend the sessions, they are never coerced or guilted into faith decisions, praying, or even active participation.

Absolutely! Our inclusion program provides support for children and youth who need adaptations to have a successful week. If your child needs any support or adaptations, please provide details with your registration or give us a call. Our Inclusion Coordinator will contact families starting in April to confirm your registration and to help us prepare any adaptive programming and care required. A conversation or interview may be requested.

The Campership Fund is monies our constituents have donated to help all campers who want to get to camp. Anyone is eligible for up to 30% off the registration fee. We have tried to make the process as simple as possible within the online registration form – you will be asked about your household income and given a code to enter at the payment page.

Camps with Meaning is also a member of the Manitoba Camping Association through which you can apply for the Sunshine fund for additional funding: https://www.mbcamping.ca/sunshine-fund

Each week, campers are divided into groups of up to 8-10 children who share a cabin. Up until this year, Camps with Meaning has offered two cabin options: male and female. A “gender inclusive cabin” is one which may include campers of more than one gender (male, female, non-binary, etc.). This year at camp, you will be able to choose one of three options: female cabin, male cabin or gender-inclusive cabin.

We strongly encourage parents/guardians to have a discussion with their camper(s) around which cabin best fits their needs and comfort level.  

There are two main reasons.

First, we know that leaving home for a week can be a scary and nerve-racking thing. A gender-inclusive cabin option allows those kids who might want to be in a cabin with a sibling, cousin, or friend of a different gender to do so, making their time away from home easier.

Second, we want to welcome campers across the spectrum of gender diversity. Camps with Meaning is owned by a community of congregations which hold various positions regarding inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. However, under guidance by the MCM Board, Camps with Meaning works each year at being a space where all campers have a place and feel as loved as possible (see here for our inclusion statement). Through this love, we hope campers experience the love of God in turn. This is an explicit step to say, “We see you and we love you!” Apart from this cabin option, we continue to offer male and female cabins, ensuring that each camper has a choice for what is best for them.

In our interview process, we ask staff if they feel comfortable counselling in a gender-inclusive cabin. Their answer guides our decisions and everyone who is counselling is trained on how to do this well. The counsellors are either one male-identifying and one female-identifying staff, or a pair of staff who both identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

As in the past few years, registration through CampBrain requires any camper to indicate a gender of either male or female (this is not necessarily their gender identity, but rather an indication of which cabin they would feel most comfortable in during their week at camp). While CampBrain requires us to continue asking this near the beginning of the application, there will a separate space later in the application process to indicate if a camper would like to be placed in the gender-inclusive cabin.

As long as 5 or more campers select the gender-inclusive cabin option for a given week, we will be able to guarantee that option for the session you are registering for. In the event there are less than 5 campers who have requested the gender-inclusive option, we will place campers in the gender (male or female) they selected at the beginning of the application.

Camps with Meaning has had a policy in place for several years that requires any camper to change privately, either behind a curtained area or in the bathroom in their cabin. This policy continues to be the norm for changing at camp, no matter what cabin.

The potential for romantic relationships has always existed at camp. Staff at camp understand this potential and are ready to step in and encourage campers to shift their focus from starting relationships toward the many activities of camp. That being said, most campers at camp are already so focused on the activities and fast-paced life of camp that beginning a romantic relationship is not the priority to begin with. Also, while campers are not individually supervised every moment, 24 hours a day, there is regular supervision and the opportunities for two campers to go off together alone are very rare.

Kids will question their gender no matter what. In fact, some campers won’t even notice the shift in practices to become more inclusive—they’ll just roll with it. Regardless of their gender, campers that come to camp want their identity affirmed by their counsellors, they want safe and private places to change, and they want to be seen as a valued part of the community. These are our goals!

Your child will have fun—this is still the biggest part of camp! Activities, singing, good food, and adventure have not changed. However, camp often brings out questions and curiosities in campers, and has always been a place of self-education and growth, which is one of the beautiful things about camp. If conversations about gender arise, we meet campers where they are at, not pushing them to think about something they aren’t already thinking about. Our goal for each camper is making them feel loved and accepted at camp. Having new policies at camp ensures that every camper can experience the fun that you are talking about.

Yes, you can still select female or male cabin options on your application. Whatever you select will be honoured. If your child arrives at camp and approaches us to switch cabins, we will follow the policy below.

While our hope is that caregivers and campers can decide together what cabin is best for them, we understand that sometimes campers and caregivers may not completely agree. We will always honour whatever cabin was selected on an application, unless a camper approaches us and requests to change cabins. If that happens, we want to respect the camper’s choice to switch cabins, though it is mandatory that their parents are informed. This phone conversation is done by a leadership member or, if the camper chooses, with the camper part of the phone call as well. The hope is that this phone call will be conversational, and while we want to give the campers as much agency as possible, the parents will have the final say.

While this area of conversation may have become political, it is also personal. To show the love of God to campers, which is our primary goal of camping ministry, we believe small and thoughtful steps like this are necessary for ensuring campers feel themselves reflected at camp—in the community, in God’s story, and in the Body of Christ.