Wilderness committee opposes Whiteshell park location

A proposed Tim Horton Children's Foundation camp near Pinawa hit another speed bump Friday when a local environmental group submitted another idea for the site.

The Wilderness Committee Manitoba's pitch to the province calls for the area on the shoreline of both Sylvia Lake and the Winnipeg River, and just inside the boundary of Whiteshell Provincial Park, to be preserved as a winter snowshoe and cross-country ski area.

It's the latest twist in the foundation's attempt to send underprivileged kids to summer camp and guide them into its leadership training program.

"This is not the usual way it goes," foundation vice-president Dave Newnham said Friday. "The opposition took us by surprise."

Newnham said the foundation's proposal to build a $12-million camp has the support of the Manitoba Camping Association and its members, which include YMCA-YWCA Camp Stephens and 34 other children's camps. The association runs the Sunshine Fund, which raises money to send kids to camp.

The foundation runs six camps across North America. It wants to expand to Manitoba to give kids who otherwise would never go to camp, a chance to experience Manitoba's wilderness and, more importantly, learn about themselves. The children's families don't pay a dime. The foundation targets boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 17, with one-in-six being handpicked to participate in its leadership program.

"We go and reach out for these kids," Newnham said. "Our programs are second to none."

Manitoba Camping Association executive director Brian Ezako said the Tim Horton Children's Foundation serves a niche that other camps and organizations can't -- pulling in teenagers.

"The key to the Tim Horton's program is that it targets older youth," Ezako said. "That's one of the toughest ages to attract for campers."

Wilderness Committee Manitoba campaign director Eric Reder said the group is not opposed to the camp but it is against the camp being built within Whiteshell Provincial Park.

Reder said the camp could easily be built on Crown land outside the park. "There are other options than bulldozing the forest," he said.

A provincial spokesman said the wilderness committee's proposal will be considered as part of the public consultations on the proposed camp.

Last year, the foundation abandoned plans to build at Meditation Lake after water tests confirmed citizens' concerns about the lake's ability to handle development. The Sylvia Lake project can't proceed until the foundation gets an environmental licence.

Newnham said the foundation's camp would be a perfect fit for the park and something the region would be proud to have in its backyard. It would also give the foundation access to canoe routes that children from across the country could experience.

"I can sleep at night because I think this camp would be a sense of pride for the region," Newnham said. "This is absolutely the best kind of development you want. We spare no expense in making it aesthetically and environmentally sustainable.

"If the province wants to see something wonderful, this fits the bill."