In 1952, Pastor Bill McLeod and three other Christian men purchased over 127 acres of property to provide a mission outreach for boys, girls, and teens of Manitoba. The camp was originally a farm homestead and ran programs reaching Manitoba youth by utilizing some of the farm buildings. Many early campers recall sleeping on matresses stuffed with hay, or straw.

The early camp sat beside a very narrow and shallow creek, and in 1954 the contruction of a hydro dam flooded the area and created the current river. Bird River Camping Inc. a non Profit Corporation created in 1995 now operates the Camp.