For more than a century, BGC Ottawa’s Camp Smitty has been a place where children and youth across Ottawa build friendships, gain confidence and create memories that last a lifetime. Located on the shores of Mink Lake near Eganville, the overnight summer camp welcomes children and teens ages 8 to 16 for outdoor adventure, connection and growth.
For many campers, a session at Camp Smitty is their first opportunity to explore nature, dip their toes in the lake and experience the independence of being away from home. Through community support, BGC Ottawa helps ensure that young people who may not otherwise have access to camp can build confidence, form friendships and discover new possibilities.
But in recent years, Camp Smitty’s main hall faced a significant challenge. Despite efforts to brace the building – the Smith-Homestead Foundation Hall, previously known as the Spirit of Minwassin Hall – soil conditions and the passage of time caused the structure to begin sliding off its foundation and tipping toward the water. It was eventually condemned for safety reasons.
That was when Ottawa’s construction, trades and affiliated industries stepped in to help preserve the historic hall. Between October last year and June 2026, community members dedicated their time and resources to rebuild and reinforce the building in time for BGC Ottawa to safely open its 2026 summer season at Camp Smitty.
Donations from local construction companies, trades and suppliers
Steve Barkhouse, the owner of Amsted Design-Build, a family-owned business headquartered in Stittsville, and a member of BGC Ottawa’s Board of Directors, spearheaded the project by bringing together local construction companies, tradespeople and suppliers. He says everyone he approached agreed to contribute their labour, tools and materials in-kind, covering more than half the cost of the $1.25 million rebuild.
“They were wonderful in saying ‘We’re going to be there for you. We’re going to work with your schedule and the site conditions,’” he explains, adding that they stepped up to help despite it being their busiest time of year.
“We all worked closely with BGC Ottawa to make sure we were meeting both their needs of today, and into the future. We also wanted to make sure that we kept the heritage and spirit of the building.”
The scale of the project was significant: crews lifted the entire structure, including its beams, roughly eight feet into the air before moving it laterally about 20 feet while a new foundation was excavated and installed to address the site’s soil conditions.
The building was then reset onto the new foundation and outfitted with a new roof, windows and doors. A large rear deck with glass railings was added, and the flooring and interior were refinished.
‘It’s not just a building – it’s a place that means a lot to people’
Many staff and alumni shed tears of joy at the opening ceremony for the newly renovated building, says BGC Ottawa CEO Adam Joiner, who was a councillor at Camp Smitty in the early 2000s and was married there in 2006.
“It’s not just a building. It’s a place that means a lot to people and brings value and memories,” he says.
Joiner hopes the new space will become a gathering place for the wider community, hosting weddings, family reunions, corporate retreats and other special events during the off-season when camp is available to rent. Whether it’s returning to the camp that shaped your childhood or discovering Camp Smitty’s lakeside setting for the first time, every booking helps sustain BGC Ottawa’s mission. By sharing this special place with the community, Camp Smitty can continue creating unforgettable experiences for children and youth for generations to come.
Community support has always been the foundation of BGC Ottawa’s work, helping ensure children and youth have access to the programs and opportunities they need to thrive. In 2025, the organization raised $5.6 million through community fundraising and generated nearly $1 million in rental revenue. These community-supported sources accounted for approximately 90 per cent of the funding for its clubhouse and camp programs, with the remaining 10 per cent coming from municipal, provincial and federal government sources.
Expanding rental opportunities at Camp Smitty will help strengthen this important source of revenue while introducing more people to a place that has shaped generations of young people.
“Without companies, sponsors and major gift donors, we simply couldn’t do what we do,” says Joiner. “The opportunity to partner with people who genuinely care about our mission is incredibly meaningful. When Fred and Steve Barkhouse and the entire Amsted Design-Build team come up to camp, you can see it’s truly close to their hearts.”
A project 50 years in the making
For Barkhouse, the project was just another step in his family’s commitment to BGC Ottawa – which began with his father, Fred, more than 50 years ago.
“Steve and Fred have been such an integral part of BGC Ottawa, especially at Camp Smitty, for decades,” says Joiner. “Without their unwavering support, this dream simply wouldn’t have become a reality.”
Barkhouse notes that some BGC Ottawa Clubhouses are also in need of significant repairs and will require the same level of community support that helped revitalize Camp Smitty’s cherished building. Investing in these spaces isn’t about the buildings themselves – it’s about ensuring children and youth continue to have safe, welcoming places where they can build trusted relationships, access programs and opportunities, and thrive.
“I hope that others consider helping us in the future, because the return on investment is tremendous,” adds Barkhouse. “These young people are our future, and investing in them benefits the entire community.”
