CANOES RETURNING — Camp Owaissi on Okanagan Lake.

Camp Owaissi, located on the west side of Okanagan Lake 16 km from Kelowna has been a place of ministry and learning in the Diocese of Kootenay since 1950. It has primarily been used for summer camping programs for youth and families. Diocesan leaders have recognized the potential of this beautiful part of creation, and have embarked on a strategic visioning process to determine future plans for the stewardship of the resource.

A Brief History
The Camp Owaissi property has been a gathering place for people of the region since before the arrival of Europeans. The beach was a favourite spot to draw up a canoe and rest for aboriginal people of the area. Arrowheads are still found on the beach. The site was also a resting-place for fur traders, and parts of the "Fur Brigade Trail," which passed through the camp, can still be seen near the white cross on the hill. Mr. Wilson, who emigrated from England, purchased the property in 1905. He homesteaded the land and built a wharf that became known as Wilson's Landing. Mr. Wilson sold it to Mr. Batchelor in 1914. Mr. Batchelor died in WWI, and the property was returned to the Crown for back taxes.

As a work camp in the 1930s, wooden huts were built to house workers at Wilson's landing. Three hundred men lived and worked here for three years while they worked on improving the road. For fourteen hours of hard manual labour per day, they were paid only twenty cents.

In 1948 and 49, the first Anglican Camps were held across the lake at Gibson's Landing. On May 24th, 1950, the Diocese of Kootenay bought the Wilson's Landing property for $9000. The Sports Hut, which was located in the middle of the dock, was purchased for $500 from the government, and this included the Water Rights. Funds for the purchase came from a Chinese Anglican Community in Vernon. They had sold their property and put the proceeds into a trust fund, which was earmarked for Christian Education. L.A.C. Smith, a priest from Oyama, convinced the Diocese that Owaissi (from OAC, standing for Okanagan Anglican Camp) was an educational endeavour, and, as a result, approximately $8000 was dedicated to the undertaking.

On July 2, 1950, Bishop Fred Clark dedicated the outdoor chapel as "The Chapel of Light." The new dining hall was built in 1957, financed with a loan of $10,000. The Board continued to operate the facility, and then in the 60s, a society was incorporated to manage the camp. Between 1962 - 64, family sites were created to generate additional revenue. Bishop Scott, a strong supporter of the camp, was instrumental in construction of the Bishop's Lodge and the Steiner arch cabins around 1970.

Future directions for the Westside Road Anglican Diocesan property known as Owaissi Anglican Camp, remains a topic of discussion for the Board of Directors. The camp provides a vibrant opportunity for ministry within the Diocese, offering summer camps for youth, family sites, parish camps and rental to outside organizations. Ensuring responsible stewardship of this resource and developing a year round facility are the Board's primary goals. The Owaissi Anglican Camp Board of Directors recognized an opportunity in the strong support of current Diocesan leadership and to that end gathered together a group of people with the skills to develop a strategic plan for the property. The original Dream Builders group made presentations to the Owaissi AGM and to the Diocesan Council in November 2007. As a result, a new Dream Builders Team was established as a task force of Diocesan Council (since all property matters are a diocesan responsibility) with dual reporting to both the Owaissi Board and the Diocesan Council.

What's Been Happening?
The strategic planning process has progressed during the past year through the work of the new Dream Builders Team. Building on the work and vision of the original Dream Builders, the new team has identified the foundational values that are the guiding principles for future development and use of the property.

Key stakeholders have been identified. The team has examined the social, political and economic environments within which any development will occur. They did an assessment of strengths and weaknesses internal to the Owaissi Society and the Diocese, and opportunities and threats external to the Owaissi Society and the Diocese. The result of all this analysis is that seven key areas have been identified that need to be addressed in future planning for the Westside property, and high-level goals developed. They include the following:

• Governance: To ensure a clear, focused governance model that stimulates effective leadership, management and planning.
• Ministries and Services: To be providers of ministries and services in alignment with our mission.
• Environment: To be educators and models of environmental sensitivity and sustainability.
• Communication and Change: To ensure effective communication and change plans and processes are in place for growth, planning and development.
• Collaboration and Partnerships: To be seekers and nurturers of partnerships and collaborative relationships with other groups and individuals both locally and globally, in support of our mission.
• Fiscal Sustainability: To generate sustainable funds to accomplish our mission.
• Human Expertise: To attract, retain and develop the human expertise required to achieve our mission.

These are very high-level goals that encompass a diverse range of possibilities. Detailed plans are now being developed in each of these key areas, as the Dream Builders Team continues its work of assessing possibilities and discerning the path forward. Additional information about this exciting initiative will be posted on the diocesan website, www.kootenay.anglican.ca, as it becomes available.