CLB Old Comrades open to sharing wilderness gem near the heart of CBS

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

It’s only a couple kilometres away from the Trans Canada Highway byway of Foxtrap, but as you drive down the gravel access road to the Camp Dave Butler Wilderness Lodge, the hustle and bustle of everyday life seems worlds away.

And that’s the point.

Built and managed by the CBS Church Lads Brigade Old Comrades Association, the wilderness camp has been an outlet for youth and other organizations to reconnect with nature since 1983.

“Wilderness is important to the identity of this place,” said CLB Old Comrades member Don Kennedy during a site visit Aug. 12.

The camp – renamed after longtime organization president Dave Butler – is situated on 17 acres of leased Crown land that includes shorefront access to nearby Scout Pond, which can be viewed from the scenic back deck. And while wilderness is a focal point, the main camp building is powered by a generator and includes a full kitchen with stove, fridge, cutlery and cooking utensils, as well as men’s and women’s bathrooms, enough bunks upstairs and down to sleep around 30 people, and a main hall area that has a capacity to sit 50 people.

There is a fire pit by the shore of Scout’s Pond (formerly called Third Pond) for use when provincial fire regulations permit, and barbecues available for outdoor cooking.

“We wanted to give opportunities for the youth – certainly not for us old timers – but for the youth of CBS as a place to go and be outdoors and be entertained,” said Reg Young, a founding member of the CBS CLB Old Comrades Branch 2 and one of the people who helped build the wilderness camp.

The venue has been used by several groups for retreats and daytrips – the RCMP, horse riders, search and rescue, among others – but providing opportunities for young people remains at the heart of the camp’s mission, not surprising given the CLB’s long history of programs for youths.

Use of the camp waned somewhat after the COVID-19 pandemic, beyond use by the membership and a few groups, and the organization is working to better promote what’s available. The CLB Old Comrades continue to conduct regular maintenance and there is also discussion about cutting a new walking trail, as well as bringing in Wi-Fi to make the venue more attractive for retreats by companies and other organizations.

But even the prospect of hosting company retreats is a means to an end, which is exposing more people to the venue in the hopes it will result in more youth groups finding their way to the camp, and back to the wilderness.

“Whatever it takes to get more youth back to the beauty of nature,” Kennedy said.

For more information on the CBS CLB Old Comrades Association Branch 2, or about the Camp Dave Butler Youth Camp contact cbsclboldcomrades@gmail.com