There is something irreplaceable about a child's first week away at summer camp — the first canoe paddle, the first night in a cabin with new friends, the first campfire under a sky full of stars. For families navigating the daily pressures of life in Edmonton's inner city, those experiences can feel financially out of reach. The Rotary Club of Edmonton is proud to help close that gap again this year.
On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, J.J. Tremblay, Chair of the club's Community Service Committee, and President-Elect Jason Bossert met with Renée Chan, Director of External Relations at YWCA Edmonton, to present a Rotary Club donation of $2,000.00 in support of the 2026 Camp Yowochas Summer Camp Subsidy Program. The funds will provide financial assistance to inner-city families, enabling several children to attend camp at no cost to them.
YWCA Edmonton has been offering Camp Yowochas on the shores of Lake Wabamun since 1916, providing excellent summer camp and outdoor education programming to people of all ages, including children between the ages of 5 and 17. Set on 60 acres of Aspen Parkland forest about 80 kilometres west of Edmonton, the camp has remained in continuous operation through two World Wars, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, the Great Depression, and most recently COVID-19 — a testament to the value the community has consistently placed on what happens out there. Today's campers swim, paddle, climb, hike, and grow in confidence on a property with a fleet of canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, a climbing wall, a zip line, ropes courses, and an archery range, supported by staff whose focus is the learning, leadership, and resilience of young people.
The Camper Subsidy Program is what makes those experiences accessible to children whose families would otherwise have to say no. Every dollar contributed goes directly toward camp fees for kids who need it most — kids for whom a week at Yowochas may be their first sustained time in nature, their first experience of being trusted with real responsibility, and a memory they carry for the rest of their lives.
The Rotary Club of Edmonton extends sincere thanks to Renée Chan and the entire team at YWCA Edmonton for their dedication to the children, women, and families of our city, and for their stewardship of one of Alberta's most beloved camps for more than a century.
Service projects like this one are at the heart of what the Rotary Club of Edmonton does, and they are made possible by the generosity and engagement of our members. If you'd like to learn more about the club or join us at one of our weekly lunch meetings at the Chateau Lacombe, we'd love to hear from you. To learn more about YWCA Edmonton and Camp Yowochas, or to contribute to the Camper Subsidy Fund yourself, visit ywcaofedmonton.org.