Summer Event Cancellation Decisions

To all members and friends of Community of Christ in Canada West Mission,
 
Many of you have been waiting for decisions on a number of events occurring over the next few months. Somewhat unexpectedly decisions on pretty much all events through the summer have been made and this message is to share them with you.
 
SPEC: The church’s international headquarters has announced the decision to cancel this year’s SPEC event at Graceland University. The event attracts over 1,000 youth from across North America. This is a major event for the church. The decision was shared with delegation leaders in a conference call Thursday evening and delegation leaders have been, in turn, sharing it with youth, parents, and leaders on Friday. The Canada West delegation leader is Lisa Neudorf. The decision to cancel, although certainly the right one, was not easy to make. SPEC will be greatly missed by all those who had planned to attend this summer.
 
Samish Family Camp/Reunion: The BC/Canada West Family Camp Reunion scheduled for Samish Campground has been cancelled. See this message from Reunion Director, Chris Phelps. Many participants have been expecting this decision. We have heard very clearly the concerns about crossing the Canada-U.S. border this year. This event draws participants from all over BC as well as from Washington, Oregon, and beyond.
 
Camps at Hills of Peace Campground: Finally, all three camps scheduled at Hills of Peace in July have been cancelled. These include the Junior Camp, Family Camp/Reunion, and Junior High and Senior High camps (which were scheduled for the same week). These cancellations are being announced due to the confirmation by the government of the Province of Alberta that the restrictions on gatherings of more than 15 persons will extend through the summer. Please see this message from Lisa Neudorf, Camp and Retreat Specialist and Hills of Peace Reunion Director.
 
All regular participants look forward to these events as times to renew friendships and experience a week of being immersed in a loving community with priorities of acceptance and inclusion and of experiencing the blessings of God in many different ways. Occasionally in the past it has been necessary to cancel one event for some reason. It is unprecedented that all of these events have been cancelled in a single season. The absence of these events will be a disappointment for people of all ages.
 
The Canada West Mission Centre looks forward to offering a full range of camps and retreats again next year. In the meantime, may God bless you and your loved ones, and may you feel the love of your camp friends even if from a distance.
 
Grace and Peace,
 
Steve Thompson
Canada West Mission Centre President
​[email protected]
 
See this FAQ Document for additional information about these cancellations.