Who is the CCA?
The Canadian Camping Association is a nonprofit, national federation of Provincial Camping Associations. We are dedicated to the growth, development and promotion of organized camping for all populations in Canada.
Founded in 1936 under the leadership of our first President, Taylor Statten, the Canadian Camping Association (CCA) is a non-profit, national federation of nine provincial camping associations: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island. The CCA represents over 800 camps across Canada.
Mission
Our mission is to be a national federation dedicated to the growth, development and promotion of organized camping for all populations in Canada.
The objectives of the CCA are:
- To further the interests and welfare of children, youth and adults through camping, which is a healthy, educational, character building and constructive recreational experience.
- To act as a coordinating body for camping throughout Canada.
- To encourage the development and maintenance of high standards in camping.
- To study all aspects of camping and to interpret and disseminate knowledge concerning pertinent developments and regulations.
- To provide guidance, advocacy and resources for camping leaders.
Find out more
About CCA
The CCA has worked on behalf of Canadian camps to help grow, develop, and promote organized children’s camping across the country. Accredited camps exceed legal standards, knowing that a camp is accredited gives a parent confidence that the camp is qualified to care for their child.
Parents
We have plenty of resources available for those parents sending their child to camp for the first time and for the veteran camp parent as well.
Camp presents an opportunity for children to learn new skills, meet new friends, and develop independence and self-confidence. Most of all, camp is just a whole lot of fun.
Camp Directors
The CCA is here to serve you! The CCA has been active in a number of initiatives to support Canadian summer camp professionals. The CCA represents nearly 800 day and overnight camps across Canada.
Our News & Events
CCA Awards – Nominate Someone Today
The CCA is proud to have a national awards recognition program that honours outstanding achievements and contributions by Canadian camp leaders, camps, associations and institutions.
The CCA Awards Program recognizes individuals, camps, agencies or corporations. Written online nominations, from any member of the CCA (including individuals) must be submitted by October 31, 2019, for consideration.
Once approved by the Committee/Board, the awards will be presented by a member of the CCA Board/PCA at a Provincial Camping Association’s annual meeting or other suitable gathering.
Just a reminder, nominations for a camp or an organization must come from an external source.
Call for Papers – Research Award of Excellence
The annual CCA Research Award of Excellence competition honours, celebrates and promotes research that contributes significantly to the growing body of academic literature relevant to the organized children’s camping movement in Canada.
It encourages graduate students and faculty to examine issues and/or practicalities that relate to child and youth development, enhancement of the quality of life, creating and enabling the experience, and the role of “camp” in its social, political and physical environment yesterday, today and tomorrow.
The submission deadline for the CCA Research Award is on November 30, 2019.
Camp Directors, Owners, and Boards – please forward this notice to your staff and alumni. Anyone, from senior undergraduates to PhD candidates, is welcome and encouraged to submit!
Thanks To Camp
Thanks to Camp is an initiative of the Canadian Camping Association aiming to promote the positive impact camp has on the lives of millions across the country.
We wanted to find a concrete way to show that camp is more than just fun; it actually helps children grow and gives them all kinds of tools to succeed in life.
In the summers of 2016 and 2017, the Thanks To Camp team and dozens of participating camps gathered stories from campers, parents, staff, and alumni who completed the sentence: “Thank to camp…”
In the fall of 2017, these stories were used in a social media campaign. This was a prelude to a country-wide marketing campaign (a first for the CCA!) called More Than Just Fun that was launched to let new families learn about the joys of camp before the next summer camp season!
Learn more at ThanksToCamp.ca