On rainy February days in Vancouver, when it starts to feel like we will never, NEVER, see any sunshine again, it is nice to be reminded of our beautiful summers in British Columbia. The registration for British Columbia Family French Camp (BCFFC) is now open, and if you have children in French Immersion, and are not going to France or Quebec this summer, this is the next best thing for them.
So why do I think you should go to French Camp?
1. Three great options to choose from:
Shuswap Lake, Gwillim Lake, or Vancouver Island. All three are lovely and very different locations, with a very different feel. Shuswap Lake is in the interior and feels like a real vacation – it’s hot and dry, and with lots of opportunities to swim and enjoy the water; Gwillim Lake is in a small, remote community, and a smaller camp; and Vancouver Island is just gorgeous – located in a beautiful private campground with fantastic views of the ocean, and just outside of Nanaimo – a real BC gem! So, the only difficulty here is picking where to go, and the dates might help here as they are different for all three camps.
Shuswap Lake:
Week 1: July 4 — July 11
Week 2: July 11 — July 18
Gwillim Lake:
July 25 — August 1
Vancouver Island:
Week 1: August 8 — August 15
Week 2: August 15 — August 22
2. Your children will be speaking French the entire time you are there!
We usually consider ourselves to be a little ahead of the game in the languages department as we try to speak French at home as much as possible, and switch from language to language on a regular basis, but the kids that attend this camp are largely francophone, so French is the main mode of communication, and my kids had to work hard to keep up. Les moniteurs (or the Camp counsellors) are also from Quebec and some of them speak very little English. You know what I am getting at – this is an immersion experience par excellence, something that is so hard to experience for the children of British Columbia, so far away from any other places where anything but English is spoken.
3. C’est malade!
The moniteurs (or as kids learn to call them – “momos”) are insanely awesome! I am not sure where they get their energy, but they are on the go 24/7, they are extremely enthusiastic and energetic, and they will get even the most shy child or parent to participate. Supposedly, the French Camp in BC is a big deal for Quebec university students, so they every year receive tons of applications for momos, and these momos are hand-picked. And, this shows! Your kids will be surrounded by enthusiastic young people all day long, and may even catch some of that contagious enthusiasm. You might hear them chanting the camp slogans at the end of a long day, or months after the camp is over.
4. You will have time to chillax, all by yourself
What can I say?! That alone is a great reason to go to French camp as it is something that parents don’t experience very often. You will be on vacation with your children, but the kids are gone in the morning, they come back for lunch, and they are again gone in the afternoon. After the camp hours, they will be ripping through the campground on their bikes with their new best buddies, and after dinner, it’s family show-time. This means that you get plenty of opportunities to read a few chapters of that book that has been sitting on your bedside table for forever, go on a bike ride with your hubby, or just bask in the glorious sun. This is precious!
5. You will become a member of a great community of great people
Most French Camp families are in it for a long ride. They attend the camp every summer, and they form long-lasting friendships. No matter at what stage of your children’s lives you join this community, you will feel right at home – a part of something bigger and very special. On the ferry back to Vancouver, the children in tie-dyed shirts (which is one of the staples of the French Camp) could been seen from afar, and could easily spot each other. The children keep coming even once they start high school as the camp then gets even better – zip-lining, cliff diving, and kayaking to another island and camping outdoors – sans parents. These camps create long-lasting memories and connections, and children who will love French and understand the value of speaking a foreign language.
So, now go check out the BCFFC’s new slideshow (put together by Lisa, an inspiring mom and a committed Canadian Parents for French (CPF) representative), get all inspired, and register for a camp this weekend – as camp spots go fast. (Note: you might find some of us in the last part of the slideshow!)
just a tad sufi 