MARSDEN — The Manitou Lake Bible Camp is gearing up for a successful camping season even if one of their main buildings will no longer be of use.
On Nov. 5, 2024, a fire broke out in the dining hall/ kitchen building, reducing the structure to ash. The fire also did severe damage to the camp’s newest building addition, which was to serve as winter accommodations for year-round retreats the Manitou Lake Bible Camp was hoping to host. Steve Buhler, executive director for the camp, said investigators have not been able to pinpoint the cause of the flames.
Yet, the demise of the buildings has not hindered the camp’s expectations of hosting another year of summer camp for children of all ages. Buhler said staff are working hard to still make the summer camp experience the best one yet for those who are planning to attend this summer.
“We are looking into renting a temporary kitchen trailer and using the old gymnasium for our dining hall, but the day-to-day operations of our summer ministry will remain the same,” he added.
Buhler also added registration for the summer camp program is now open and is expecting more than 650 youth will attend camp again this summer.
“We have a lot of preparations yet to do before our first day of camp. We lost our water treatment system in the fire, so the rebuilding of the system will give us a better water quality than what we had started with,” said the executive director. He also added there are plans to do some site maintenance and updating to the washrooms and climbing wall before campers arrive.
Since the fire, a committee has been formed with a mix of Manitou Lake Bible Camp volunteers and building professionals, with the possibility of rebuilding on the horizon.
“We are still in talks with the insurance company. We did have coverage and hoping the coverage will be favourable for us, however with the inflation costs of building materials, we may need to do some fundraising to help get us to the end,” said Buhler.
Although Buhler has only been in the executive director role since September 2024, he is amazed at the amount of support the camp has already received both locally and nationally.
“We have seen lots of community support, not only financially but also physically. Lots of people have offered to lend a hand where they can. Even nationally, lots of people are sending support and prayers as well, sharing their experiences at Manitou Lake Bible Camp and what the camp means to them. For me coming in new and not knowing these stories, it is cool to hear these things,” said Buhler.
The building committee is in the beginning stages of creating a new building, with hopes the new structure will include a dining hall, kitchen and accommodations.
“With a building such as this, we can host more retreats year-round and continue with our ministry and supporting connections within our local youth and adults. Our retreats this winter have been a great way for us to keep a sense of normalcy while providing those opportunities to those who attend,” said Buhler.
The committee is hoping to break ground on the new building by the fall, replacing the 20-year-old structure.
The camp, which has been operational since 1940, started on a farmyard near the community of Marsden. Bible school students would set up ‘camp’ in the yard, sleep in empty grain bins and cook out of a machine shop.
Manitou Lake Bible Camp is located in the lake valley between Marsden and Neilburg, south of Highway 40.
