What Camp Qwanoes does

Camp Qwanoes is a non-profit Christian adventure camp founded in 1966, operating on a 55-acre waterfront property at 1148 Smith Road, Crofton, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Its core business is overnight summer camps for children and youth ages 8-18, organized into Juniors (8-11), Junior High (11-15), and Youth (15-18) programs, supplemented by the SeaQuest kayak expedition (ages 13-18) covering 31 km through the Southern Gulf Islands. The camp also runs a multi-stage leadership development pipeline: Step-Out (ages 15-16, $338), Counselor-In-Training (ages 16-18, $687 with GST exemption), Leader-In-Training ($6,000 support goal), the Kaléo Bible college program in academic partnership with Briercrest College & Seminary, the enRoute year-round discipleship program, and the NEXT Internship for ages 20-25. The facility is staffed by 51-100 employees and serves over 4,200 campers in Summer 2025, operating year-round for retreats and rentals.

The camp's physical infrastructure comprises proprietary high-adventure facilities including the Sky Station four-level ropes course (30+ elements), the SkyScraper 80-foot giant swing, the Jet Stream 1,000-foot ocean zipline to the Beach Port, an Aqua-Park floating playground, a concrete skatepark, mountain biking trails on Maple Mountain, Pacific Woods Lodge (sleeping 120), Sky Ridge Lodge (170-seat dining), 45 outdoor cabins, and 3,000 feet of sheltered coastline. These assets are materially difficult for competitors to replicate. The business model is direct-to-consumer: families register via branded CampBrain portals (qwanoes.campbrainregistration.com, qwanoes.campbrainstaff.com, qwanoes.campbraingiving.com), and marketing is conducted through social media, a Church Finder referral network, email, and published testimonials. Revenue streams include summer camp tuition ($719-$858/week plus 5% GST), specialized program fees, year-round facility rentals, donations through CanadaHelps/Charitable Impact/Benevity, and modest merchandise sales via Beach Betty's and Tuck Shop. Camp fees do not fully cover operating costs, with capital projects funded primarily through donor gifts — a structural feature of the non-profit model and a key risk factor requiring continued fundraising execution.

Name

Camp Qwanoes

Legal name

Camp Qwanoes

Website

https://qwanoes.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Camp Qwanoes is a non-profit Christian adventure camp on Vancouver Island, BC, founded in 1966, offering overnight summer camps for ages 8-18, a leadership development pipeline through Kaléo and NEXT Internship, and year-round retreat facilities on a 55-acre waterfront property serving 4,200+ campers annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Summer Camp Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Adventure Base Camps (Trek/Climb/Expedition Camps) (THAGAOAG), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Youth summer camps
• Leadership development programs
• Adventure retreat facilities
• Outdoor adventure programs
• Christian youth ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Crofton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Fees: Tuition fees for overnight summer camps ranging from approximately $719 to $858 per camper per week, plus 5% GST. Covers accommodation, meals, activities, and programming.
2. SeaQuest Kayak Adventure Fees: Specialized kayak expedition camp at approximately $835 per camper, including training and multi-day island paddling.
3. Leadership Program Fees: Step-Out program at $338; CIT program at $687; LIT programs with support goals. Kaléo Bible college program operated in partnership with Briercrest College.
4. Retreat and Rental Income: Year-round facility rentals for family retreats, youth groups, adult retreats, and group events. Includes venue hire, accommodation, and activity options.
5. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Non-profit camp relies on donations for capital projects and campership/scholarship funding. Accepts gifts through official giving portal and third-party platforms. Capital projects funded primarily through donor gifts.
6. Merchandise and Equipment Sales: Camp store (Beach Betty's) selling apparel (hats, shirts, sweatshirts) and snacks. End-of-summer sales of used Rocky Mountain bikes and water sports equipment. Q-Town Records music sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Camp Qwanoes is a non-profit Christian youth camp that delivers overnight summer camps, multi-tiered leadership development programs, and year-round retreat and facility rental services on a 55-acre waterfront campus on Vancouver Island. Programs serve children and youth ages 8-18 with over 75 activity options, alongside leadership pipelines from Step-Out through Counselor-In-Training, Leader-In-Training, the Kaléo Bible college program, enRoute year-round discipleship, and the NEXT Internship.

Product overview

Camp Qwanoes is a youth-focused high adventure Christian camp offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services. The core offerings include overnight summer camps (Juniors, Junior High, Youth, and SeaQuest kayak adventure camps) for children and youth ages 8-18, alongside year-round leadership development programs (Step-Out, Counselor-In-Training, Leader-In-Training, Kaléo college program, enRoute discipleship, and NEXT internship). The camp also operates facility rentals for group events, provides over 75 activity options including a challenge course, beach/waterfront activities, land sports, and evening programs like Q-Town. The camp is situated on 55 acres of waterfront property on Vancouver Island and serves campers from across Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qwanoes Beach: The waterfront area featuring ocean activities including wakeboarding, kayaking, waterskiing, and the Aqua Park.
• Challenge Course
• Q-Town
• Q-Town Records
• Club Coco
• Beach Betty's
• Tuck Shop
• Kaléo Program
• enRoute Program
• SeaQuest

Products and services

• Summer Camps (Juniors, Junior High, Youth) Overnight summer camp programs for children and youth ages 8-18, with 75+ activity options including wakeboarding, archery, mountain boarding, the SkyScraper giant swing, challenge course, and beach activities at Qwanoes Beach.
• SeaQuest Camps West Coast kayak adventure camps for ages 13-18 featuring a five-day ocean kayaking expedition through the Southern Gulf Islands including stops on Thetis, Wallace, Galiano, and Salt Spring islands, covering 31 kilometers of paddling.
• Summer Leadership Programs (Step-Out, CIT, LIT) Summer leadership development programs including Step-Out (ages 15-16, two-week entry-level), Counselor-In-Training (ages 16-18), and Leader-In-Training (for CIT grads), providing training, ministry preparation, and practical leadership experience.
• Kaléo Program 8-month foundational leadership college program in partnership with Briercrest College & Seminary, combining biblical teaching, leadership training, outdoor adventures, and ministry for single high school graduates ages 18-22, with one year of college credit awarded.
• enRoute Program Year-round discipleship program for high school students who have completed summer leadership programs, running September to May to build on Qwanoes' summer leadership training.
• NEXT Internship 16-month immersive internship program for emerging young adult leaders ages 20-25, providing ministry and leadership skills development in camping and recreation ministry through an apprenticeship learning model.
• Retreat Programs Year-round retreat programs including Juniors Retreat, LiftOff Island/Mainland (youth), Spring/Summer Family Retreats, Women's/Men's Retreats, Young Adults Retreat, and Staff Retreat.
• Facility Rentals Event venue rentals including Pacific Woods Lodge (sleeps 120 with meeting rooms), Sky Ridge Lodge (dining hall seats 170), 45 outdoor cabins, Guest House, Club Coco (seats 245), qrok Tower deck, and Fireside amphitheater (400 seats).

Quantifiable outcome

• Grown from 600 campers (1986) to 4,200+ campers (2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Briercrest College & SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Academic partnership for the Kaléo Program - an 8-month foundational leadership college program where students earn one year of college credit through Briercrest while attending Camp Qwanoes. Faculty selected by Briercrost deliver biblical teaching in the camp setting.
• BC Camping AssociationcoreOthersFully-accredited member of BC Camping Association - the primary regulatory and standards body for camps in British Columbia.
• Christian Camping InternationalcoreOthersFully-accredited member of Christian Camping International for Christian camp standards and best practices.
• Fellowship of Christian Camps in BCcoreOthersMember of Fellowship of Christian Camps in BC - network of Christian camps in the province.
• Association for Challenge Course TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationMember of Association for Challenge Course Technology - ensures challenge course meets industry safety standards.
• Canadian Centre for Christian CharitiesminorOthersMember of Canadian Centre for Christian Charities - provides resources and networking for Christian charitable organizations.
• Fellowship Pacific Ministry CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Fellowship Pacific Ministry Centre in the enRoute year-round leadership program for high school students.
• Church Network (Church Finder)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of churches across Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver that refer campers and staff to Qwanoes. Churches designated with blue crosses (highly involved) or green crosses (involved) based on their engagement level. Includes churches in membership society and those sending regular summer staff.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Camp Awesome: A Canadian youth summer camp program focused on multi-activity programming and faith-based values. Comparable in overnight format and youth-segment focus, primarily serving a different Canadian geography from Qwanoes.

Direct peers

• Camp Squeah: A Christian residential camp located in British Columbia serving children and youth with adventure and leadership programming. Closely comparable faith-based overnight camp operating in the same BC/PNW market with similar church-network referral dynamics.
• Camp Tamakwa: An Ontario-based adventure camp offering canoe tripping, high ropes, and traditional camp activities for children and youth. Closely comparable adventure-led overnight camp format with a similar multi-activity structure and strong brand heritage.
• Camp Kandalore: A traditional overnight summer camp in Ontario offering multi-activity programming, leadership development, and wilderness tripping. Comparable in its multi-week overnight format, leadership pipeline (CIT/LIT), and broad activity offering, though secular.
• Camp Crossroads: A Christian summer camp in Ontario offering overnight programs, leadership tracks, and adventure activities. Comparable faith-based residential camp with similar age-tiered programming (juniors, senior, leadership).
• Circle Square Ranch: A network of Christian camps across Canada offering residential summer programming, leadership development, and retreats. Directly comparable in mission, Christian-camp affiliation, and overnight programming for children and youth.
• Camp Moraga: A Canadian adventure-based summer camp serving youth with multi-activity programming. Comparable overnight adventure format and youth-focused activity mix, though operates on a shorter seasonal window.

Broad incumbents

• Kanakuk Kamps: A well-established multi-location Christian youth camp network in the US with broad activity programming and year-round brand presence. Comparable in faith-based mission and overnight model, but operates at much larger scale and geographic footprint.

Others

• Briercrest College & Seminary: Existing strategic partner of Camp Qwanoes delivering the Kaléo college-credit program. Adjacent as a faith-based education provider; not a direct competitor but a closely tied ecosystem partner for the leadership pipeline.
• Pacific Christian Community Church: Representative church network partner in the Vancouver region that channels campers to Camp Qwanoes through the Church Finder program. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but illustrative of the referral channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qwanoes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/officialcampqwanoes
• Facebookfacebook.com/campqwanoes
• Instagraminstagram.com/qwanoes

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camp Qwanoes