Do you love "roughing it" in the outdoors? Do you enjoy getting away from the city? Are you looking for an exciting new adventure? Then St. John Bosco Wilderness Camp is for you!



Nestled on the shores of Zeden and Ispuchaw Lakes in Narrow Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan (see our map), SJBWC operates primarily as a summer camp for youth ages 9 - 17. The focus at camp is having fun learning and living in the outdoors. Our core experience is the out-trip, where campers have the opportunity to experience rustic wilderness travel and camping. Through these experiences, campers make lifelong friends and develop a new appreciation for God and nature.



St. John Bosco Wilderness Camp is an invitation to people to live, learn and share with each .

1929: (October 28) A small geographical survey plane with the letters CEZN on its wings sank into the depths of a small wilderness lake in northern Saskatchewan. The lake was subsequently named ZN (Zeden) Lake.



1958: The Knights of Columbus Councils in Zenon Park, Tisdale, Nipawin and Hudson Bay undertook the opportunity to build and develop a summer camp operation for the children of those areas. A site was selected on ZN Lake, on the newly built Hanson Lake Road in Nipawin (now Narrow Hills) Provincial Park. A formal request was made to the Dept. of Natural Resources for

   

Bosco's first campers, 1959



permission to establish a summer camp. Upon approval, plans were made to lay the groundwork for the camp. The name St. John Bosco Camp was chosen, after the patron of young people. The camp's ideal at that time was to emulate St. John Bosco's love of children, and help them to recognize, respect, and grow as individuals and groups.



1959: Bishop Morin, pleased with the project, agreed to provide the camp with a Director and part of the staff. Father Deschamps was appointed as Camp Director. Work began with the building of a private road and the initial clearing and the construction of the first building, a combination dining hall/kitchen/chapel. In the last week of July, Father Vyncht of Tisdale celebrated the first Mass at camp. Bosco's first camp lasted one week and had fourteen campers, all boys.



1960: Two one-week camps for boys and a one-week camp for girls were held. By now word of the camp was spreading and campers were applying from all over northern Saskatchewan.



1961: The Nurse's Station and Dining Hall addition were built.



1965: The cook's cabin, root cellar, canteen, power plant, and firearm safety building were built.



1966: St. John Bosco Hour was introduced for the first time. Flag poles and backstops were erected. The rifle range was damaged after it collapsed in the winter because of heavy snow. Power is extended to root cellar, campfire site, and fire range building. Waterlines are extended to the campfire site, tenting areas, and toilets. (Director: Father Doucette)



1967: A public address system was installed. Tents were set up in the form of two horseshoes, creating one junior and one senior area. The manager's cabin was built. (Director: Father John M. Boutin)



1968: A new recreation hall (40' x 100') was built by the Arborfield Sub-Council of the Knights of Columbus, containing the Camp Director and Assistant Director offices, leader's meeting room, handicraft and sports rooms. A survival-oriented program was introduced with emphasis on shelter-building, outdoor cooking, and firebuilding. A Home Nursing Course was offered for the first time. St. John Bosco Camp became a founding member of the Saskatchewan Camping Association (SCA).



1969: The Director's Cabin was built.



1970: A canoeing program was initiated with the purchase of 2 fibreglass canoes. Orienteering was offered for the first time.



1971: A CIT program was offered to senior campers aged 15-16. The Camp Manager position was created. COTS and Canoe Skills were offered

for the first time.



1972: Swimming programs were introduced under the supervision of both the Red Cross and the RLSSC. Canoe programs were split into two: Canoe I, which offered a six-day skills camp at Upper Fishing Lake to teach skills, and Canoe II, which offered a 60-mile outtripping experience down the Sturgeon Weir river and across Amisk Lake. First aid was affiliated with St. John¹s Ambulance. An awards system was set up to recognize annually five men or women who have greatly contributed to camp. New tenting "satellite" areas were set up for intermediate campers aged 11-12.



1973: A Naturelore shelter, storage shelter, obstacle course, showers, and the Staff Shack were built. WSI and Creative Drama were offered for the first time. Canoe Skills was held on Baldy Lake. Survival Skills was held in the bush around McDougall Creek. Staff took their first year-end canoe trip.



1974: A new Chapel was erected. ALE was offered for the first time. Canoe Skills was moved to Lost Echo Lake.



1975: The Survival Skills program changed its name to Wilderness Skills. All 3 COTS programs were filled for the first time. The maintenance shed, laundry room and activity centre were built.



1976: The craft shelter and swimbeach shelter were erected. Bronze Medallion was offered for the first time. Wilderness Outtripping and Wilderness Skills were combined to form WOTS. The "Young Olympians of Canada” program was introduced at JBC in celebration of the Montreal Olympics. A sailing program was offered for the first time. The camp crafts program began the spring of this year. Canoe Skills moved from Lost Echo Lake to Ispuchaw Lake. Firearm safety was discontinued.



1977: (May 15) The Fishing Lakes Fire raged through camp, burning many buildings and damaging trees and property. Structures destroyed by the fire included the root cellar, recreation hall and nearby toilets, buildings at the dump, obstacle course, activity centre, craft shelter, swimbeach shelter, 25 round tent pads, and 20 square tent pads. Tenting areas were extended down to Ispuchaw Point, which was donated by the Boy Scouts. Ispuchaw Trail was created from main camp to Ispuchaw Point. A new master plan was instituted for the future development of camp. Solo camping was offered as a program for the first time.



1978: The Quonset was built. Work began on the Camp Cabin, Naturelore building, and greenhouse.



1979: The Camp Cabin was made livable with the help of many people. The St. John Bosco Youth Corps was started. The greenhouse was used on an experimental basis.



1980: The Administration building was erected. The inside was finished by the Knights of Columbus. Two new tenting areas were created. Father John Boutin's last summer as Director.



1981: The Camp Cabin, Naturelore building, and Parr Course in front of the Admin building were completed. A new walk-in freezer was built on the south side of the Canteen. (Director: Father Albert LeGatt)



1982: Ray Beyer served as Acting Camp Director while Father Albert was away. The walk-in freezer was completed.



1983: 25th anniversary of camp! Canoe Beach was terraced. A staff reunion was held July 27-30.



1984: A new gate was built at the entrance to camp. The greenhouse was damaged by fire.



1985: The Naturelore program is integrated with Wilderness Skills program. Swim Beach is terraced from the Camp Cabin and Nurse's Station to the waterfront.



1986: A retaining wall was built at swim beach. (Director: Jim Kaptein)



1987: Camp switches from diesel to electrical power and the power generator is shut down. (Director: Chris Brochu)



1988: Camp gets telephone connections with the outside world. Camp goes co-ed for the convenience of parents to cut down their travel expenses. The greenhouse is torn down. (Director: Darryl Staflund)



1989: Creative Drama, Yoga, and John Bosco Hour were combined to form the Discovery program. Intermediate areas moved from Ispuchaw Point to east side of Ispuchaw Trail. (Director: Jim Lissinna)



1990: Three summer camps are offered in July and August instead of four. (Director: Christian Kahlert)



1991: Director: Mike Lacoursiere



1992: The walk-in freezer was moved from the Canteen to the kitchen and attached to it. New septic tanks were installed by the kitchen, by the outhouse near the Nurse's Station, and by the showers.



1993: The shower complex was overhauled. A new archery shelter was built. The BOTS program and Adult Get-Away Weekend were introduced.



1994: Director: Mark Lich



1995: (June 1) Because of heavy smoke from the Nipekamiw and Monday forest fires, staff and campers were evacuated. Camp shut down for the next week while smoke cleared and fire was brought under control.



1996: St. John Bosco Camp goes online with its own e-mail address and webpage! 7-day camps are offered concurrently with 10-day camps for the first time.



1997: The Board of Directors takes on a more active role in the running of camp during the off season. Bosco offers only two 10-day sessions in July. (Director: Peter Kahlert)



1998: The upper deck on the Naturelore building is replaced. (Director: Chad Thurber)



1999: A chlorination system is installed on our water supply. The roof and deck on the Camp Cabin are replaced; replacement of the dock at Canoe Beach begins. (Director: Chantie Champigny)



2000: The Administration building is re-shingled. Aluminum tent frames are purchased and installed in all the tenting areas. The lower deck of the Naturelore building is replaced. A canoe replacement program begins with the purchase of three new canoes.



2001: Third camp is reintroduced, offering a 7 day program for Juniors and Intermediates. The canoe dock replacement is completed and a new change house at Swim Beach is built. (Director: Brad Harasymchuk)



2002: A new metal roof is installed over the beach change house. The Orienteering shelter is rebuilt and finished with a metal roof, and the staff Overflow building gets a new metal roof. Work is started on the Dining Hall, a new metal roof is built over the freezer/cooler section. Work also was done on the interior of the shower building. A new floor is laid in the laundry building.



2003: Wilderness Kayaking Skills is offered for the first time. Chapel roof receives repairs. A metal roof is put on the main portion of the Dining Hall. A project to vent the outhouses is undertaken. Windstorms over the winter and spring brought a lot of jack pines to the ground. Work on the shower stalls is completed. (July 2) Camp escaped with minor damage after a tornado passed just south of the campsite. Hail stones the size of tennis balls damaged some tents and broke a couple of windows on vehicles, but there was very little wind damage. (Director: Taylor Bassingthwaite)



2004: Wilderness Skills (a combination of Canoe Skills and Hiking Skills) is offered to introduce campers to and prepare them for the senior outtripping programs. Fishing Skills is offered for the first time. A food dehydrator is purchased and used to lighten the loads for the senior outtripping programs. The sandpoint wells that had been supplying camp with water for 20+ years plugged up and needed to be replaced; camp had to haul drinking water until early July. 7-day programs for Juniors are offered both in July and August and 7-day programs for Seniors are offered at the August camp. The Board of Directors hires a part-time year round Camp Director to assist them in the off-season. (Director: Shane Kelly)



2005: The camp office relocates to Saskatoon. Rains last fall and snowfall over the winter raises the lake level once again. The Chapel roof is replaced.



2006: 7-day camps are discontinued; all camps are again 10 days. Grants allow for the replacement of several in-camp and outtripping tents as well as improvements to the orienteering program. Site preparation begins in August for an addition to the Staff Shack. The cement floor is poured on the Thanksgiving weekend and construction starts two weeks later. (Director: Margot Biggs)



2007: The staff accomodation addition is completed.



2008: Bosco's 50th Anniversary Reunion is held on the August Long Weekend. The Naturelore building and Quonset get new metal roofs. (Director: Eric Pulvermacher)



2009: Director: Martin Plemel