About Parkside Ranch

Parkside Ranch’s Key Areas of Focus

Parkside’s range of facilities and resources is the foundation for a multi-faceted operation that serves over 3,000 guests annually and employs 12 permanent staff and over 50 summer staff and volunteers. Major areas of focus include:

1. Camps for children and youth from ages 5 to 17 are the historical core of Parkside Ranch’s community-oriented activities, including summer day and overnight camps and winter snow-camps that offer a full range of healthy physical outdoor dry land games & activities, water and snow sports, as well as horseback riding, indoor gymnasium and handcraft activities.
   
   A constant emphasis on social interaction, teamwork, respect and care for others in all of our activities is supported by relevant daily stories from the Bible as the basis for our holistic focus on the complete well-being of our campers.  With more than 50 years of providing this well-rounded approach with children and youth about their own worth as individuals and the values of integrity, respect and care for others has shown us the importance of our continuing commitment to parents, families and our community to provide a camping experience that will last a lifetime.
   
   Parkside’s camp programs also provide an excellent opportunity for youth as members of our staff to learn and practice leadership, responsibility and decision-making skills as they lead activities and provide care for groups of children, under the mentorship of highly experienced and qualified camp directors. Skills learned at Parkside help create a solid foundation for successful life decisions and career capabilities. Parkside’s camp programs also provide an excellent opportunity for youth as members of our staff to learn and practice leadership, responsibility and decision-making skills as they lead activities and provide care for groups of children, under the mentorship of highly experienced and qualified camp directors. Skills learned at Parkside help create a solid foundation for successful life decisions and career capabilities.
   
2. After-school Clubs, including our very popular Horse Club equestrian program and Pedagogical day camps, provide safe and rewarding, year-round, week-day activities and experiences for children and youth from ages 5 to 12, including a focus on social skills and relevant Bible stories.
   
3. Full-service Conference and Retreat facilities serve the needs of a variety of school, church, community and corporate groups. A peaceful and welcoming country environment for meetings is complemented by a unique opportunity for stimulating social and team-building activities organized by Parkside, including sports, archery, horseback riding and snowmobile tours.
   
4. Therapeutic Riding Programs have been developed over the past decade, with our three certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors working in close collaboration with the local social services (CLSC) organization who regularly refer children that are experiencing emotional, social, learning or physical difficulties to Parkside. The demand for these services is on the increase and represents a significant opportunity for Parkside to continue to expand the scope of our commitment and engagement with our community.
   
   To further enhance our ability to support our Therapeutic Riding clients, Parkside is in the process of having our “Turning Point” Equestrian Centre certified by the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA). We have also launched a capital campaign to raise the funds required to expand our recently completed 15,000 sq. ft. indoor riding arena to include a state-of-the-art horse stable and a multi-functional equestrian training center and overnight guest accommodations facility. This expansion will enable the Turning Point to position itself as an equestrian community hub in contributing to the physical, emotional and general mental health of our clients, including meeting the needs of people struggling with:
   1. Learning difficulties
   2. Relationship challenges (i.e. parent-child)
   3. Autism spectrum and other communication challenges
   4. Depression and anxiety, including PTSD
   5. Critical illness or cancer recovery
   6. Physical rehabilitation (hippotherapy)
      
5. Community Open-House Events such as Thanksgiving dinners and spring maple sugaring celebrations, and even various fund-raising events, such as art workshops, provide opportunities for our camper families, neighbours and community to experience a bit of life at Parkside and to get to know us better.  We love to share the incredible facilities with which we have been entrusted.
   
6. Agricultural Operations that support Parkside’s various services and activities are an often overlooked but critical focus for the organization and offer additional opportunities for community involvement. The fully functioning farm with more than 20 horses to feed and maintain, farm buildings and equipment such as tractors and haying implements, is a source of employment and an opportunity for volunteer engagement. With a maple syrup operation and an onsite sawmill to sustainably process logs from our own woodlot to support building projects, Parkside has a truly unique “camp” profile.