The province has extended utilities and built an access road to the site of the future Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Youth Leadership Camp at Sylvia Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Premier Greg Selinger announced here today.

“It’s important for children to have a chance to explore, recharge, learn about nature and experience the wilderness, and I commend the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation for making that possible for kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity,” said Selinger. “Our investment in the road and utility extension allows major construction on the camp itself to get underway and will mean dozens of jobs this fall.”

The Manitoba government has invested $2.1 million to provide the road access, communication and hydro services to the site.  This has leveraged a multimillion-dollar camp that will include a main lodge, three bunkhouses, a gathering space for arts and crafts, maintenance area, staff area, wellness centre, pump house, twenty-two yurts and two water-front sheds. The site plan also incorporates camping features such as an outdoor challenge area, sports field, central campfire area, and areas for swimming, canoeing or kayaking with three docks.

“Now that the preliminary work is completed, we can start construction,” said Dave Newnham, vice‑president of the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation. “We’ve also hired Carrie Patterson as director of camp operations and Colleen McLean as a general manager of the camp to continue moving the project forward.”

Patterson has been involved over the past two years with the development of the site and camp operation in Manitoba. She will oversee all aspects of getting the camp opened and operational in 2015 including hiring, community relations, program development, facility requirements and regulations.

McLean will be the general manager of the camp and will oversee camp operations. She currently runs the Youth Leadership Program at two Ontario camps and is scheduled to move to Manitoba in the fall to begin getting the site ready to open.

The camp at Sylvia Lake will be the seventh Tim Horton Children’s Foundation facility in Canada. It will provide youth with the chance to learn lifelong leadership skills.

The premier noted the announcement supports the implementation of TomorrowNow, the province’s eight-year green plan for protecting the environment while ensuring a prosperous and environmentally-conscious economy.

For more information on TomorrowNow, visit www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/tomorrownowgreenplan/.

Logo courtesy Government of Manitoba