Health & Safety

Our Commitment to Health & Safety

We consider it an honour and privilege to welcome children to camp and are committed to providing them with a fun, safe and life-giving week while they are in our care. As you read through the following commitments, we hope you will gain a clear understanding of how we care for campers. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We follow all guidelines that local health authorities, provincial and federal regulators provide for us, as well as submit regularly to onsite reviews by health authorities.

All summer staff, paid and volunteers alike, complete a comprehensive application, provide references and are interviewed before they are invited to join our Team. We also require them to pass a vulnerable sector check with local police.

• Activity instruction
• Bully prevention
• Camper behaviour management

• First aid and emergency procedures
• Group dynamics
• Risk management

• There is a qualified medical person on staff, available 24 hours a day.
• Senior staff have current CPR and First Aid Training.
• Kitchen Supervisors have Food Safety Handlers Certificates.
• Quality, nutritional meals are provided with a variety of healthy snack options at snack times.
• Drinking water is lab analyzed regularly for quality.
• Our facilities are inspected on a regular basis and are up to code.
• Our staff are trained in emergency procedures should they need to be implemented.
• External Emergency Services would be expected to respond within a 20 minute window at either location. (Pioneer Lodge, Sundre is 20 minutes; Pioneer Ranch Rocky Mountain House is 15 minutes.)

We want to welcome all children at camp and are prepared to oversee their medication requirements. If your child’s medication needs have changed between the time you submit their application and arrive at camp, please contact our office or inform our registration staff when you arrive on site. To see our Medication Policy in detail, click here.

• All medication brought to camp must be kept by camp staff, including vitamins, puffers and Tylenol. Medications must be labelled properly with medication name and directions for use.
• Prescription medication must be in the original container or bubble packaged by a pharmacy with the user’s name printed on the label.
• If you want your child to carry his/her puffer or EpiPen, please provide a fanny pack for that purpose. We also request that a second puffer or EpiPen be given to the camp medical staff.

All campers will undergo a lice check on the day of registration and must be lice and nit free to attend camp. Please help make this process be more comfortable for your child by checking for lice at home, before coming to the camp. This is the process campers can expect as they arrive at camp:

• Meet with medical staff who will check their hair for lice or nits. Parents/guardians wait for this process to be completed.
• If lice or nits are found, there are two options:
  • Onsite treatment for an approximate cost of $40, paid for by the parent/guardian.
  • If onsite treatment is refused, your child will not be able to stay at camp.
• We will endeavour to register the child for another week at camp, subject to session availability and that the lice or nits have cleared up.

Enjoying good food is part of what makes camp an enjoyable experience for children. Please list all your child’s dietary needs on the camp application. If your child has severe food allergies, please call our office so we can determine if we can accommodate them safely and prepare appropriate foods. If anything changes regarding your child’s needs, please contact our office.

We cannot guarantee that there will be no trace of an allergen in food served.

Pioneer Camp does not guarantee a nut-free environment, however we are nut-aware. To reduce the risk of exposure we do not use, serve, or sell peanuts, peanut products, or tree nuts. However, the foods we purchase and serve, or sell in our Tuck Shops, may contain traces of nut or peanut products.

If you are sending a care package to your child, please ensure it is nut-free.

In situations of homesickness, caring leaders give campers specific attention. Over the years, we have found that there are options to explore before we have the camper call home. For example:

• Focusing the child’s attention on the activities and people they enjoy at camp.
• Giving the child space and time to write a letter to family or friends at home.
• In cases of severe homesickness, camp staff will contact parents/guardians for helpful tips or strategies and to keep the parent up to date. Sending a child home is always our last resort.

We provide approved riding and climbing helmets, which all campers are required to wear when horseback riding or wall climbing. Campers may bring their own approved riding helmet. No bike helmets please.

Committed to Excellence

Fully accredited by provincial camping associations, we follow recommended guidelines and standards in all areas including food service, health and safety, program and staffing. Trained leaders, committed to providing your child with an outstanding camping experience supervise all activities.