JULY 21, 2022
TELUS Wilderness Point opens its doors to host first youth summer camp
TELUS Wilderness Point in Sechelt is a new summer camp for Canadian youth focused on inclusivity, well-being, and customised nature experiences.
Sechelt, B.C. – TELUS has officially opened the doors to its first ever youth camp, TELUS Wilderness Point, located in the beautiful Sechelt Inlet on the Sunshine Coast. This new camp is a not-for-profit initiative created by TELUS to help more Canadian youth participate in safe and inclusive summer retreats with their peers, while experiencing the beauty of nature. The camp’s first visitors arrived this week under the leadership of Camp Cue, a musical theatre camp that teaches youth theatrical performance combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. TELUS Wilderness Point will partner with different camp organizations throughout the coming years, offering a diverse range of activities and experiences, and TELUS anticipates the site will host more than 2,000 youth by the end of 2025.
“Our team is thrilled to welcome our first campers to TELUS Wilderness Point,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS. “TELUS Wilderness Point reflects beautifully our long-standing commitment to doing good in the communities where we live, work and serve by providing young Canadians, including underserved youth, with the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature. For more than two decades, our TELUS brand has been inextricably linked to nature, conveying our deep commitment to preserving the planet our children will inherit. Indeed, TELUS Wilderness Point is a potent demonstration of our social purpose in action; a place where we are bridging divides and creating a friendlier future as we welcome Camp Cue youth to realize their potential in the wonderful and uplifting environment of the Sechelt Inlet.”
TELUS Wilderness Point is accessible by boat and currently provides accommodation for approximately 50 campers, including two cabins, six tents and a kitchen with gathering area. Consistent with TELUS’ bold environmental and sustainability commitments, the camp will be energy neutral by using solar power as its primary energy source, contributing to TELUS’ goal to be a zero-waste, carbon-neutral organization by 2030.
“Camp Cue is thrilled to join the TELUS team at Wilderness Point for our inaugural year this summer,” said Nicol Spinola and Nicole Stevens, Founding Directors of Camp Cue. “As a new overnight camp, our main goal is to bring musical theatre and the great outdoors together for one giant fun filled week. While focusing on developing skills we also believe in fostering a space of inclusion for youth in the arts. Working with TELUS has been such a joy, and we cannot wait for our campers to step off the boat into TELUS Wilderness Point on their first day of camp.”
In addition to opening TELUS Wilderness Point, TELUS is investing $27 million on the Sunshine Coast this year as part of its $17.5 billion investment in infrastructure, operations, and spectrum across British Columbia through 2026. These investments will connect more than 90 per cent of local homes and businesses in Gibsons, Pender Harbour, Powell River, and Sechelt to the PureFibre network and will expand access to TELUS’ 5G wireless network along the coast. TELUS’ commitment to the Sunshine Coast extends well beyond investments in operations and infrastructure. In 2021 alone, TELUS provided charitable contributions to many local organizations, including the Sechelt Hospital Foundation, Special Olympics B.C in the Sunshine Coast, and the Royal Canadian Marine Gibsons Search and Rescue.
Since 2000, TELUS has contributed more than $100 million to the Sunshine Coast’s economy and continues to support local businesses. At TELUS Wilderness Point, TELUS is committed to using local contractors, sourcing local equipment and food to be prepared on site, and creating new jobs through the camp’s operations.
For more information, please visit
telus.com/purpose
.