A treasured spot for thousands of children is available to the highest bidder.
The Okanagan Boys and Girls Club is selling Camp Arrowflight after purchasing the 88-acre site on Salmon River Road in Spallumcheen five years ago.
“It really came down to our ability of subsidizing the operation overall,” said Jeremy Welder, director of operations.
“We had to subsidize the kids going to camp and what became challenging was maintaining the infrastructure.”
There are a number of buildings on the site which require upkeep.
Welder was unable to get into exact finances, but he points out that the Okanagan Boys and Girls has operations in 13 other communities, including Vernon and Armstrong.
“It was taking away resources from those other activities,” he said.
“There are limited donor dollars and infrastructure money.”
On its website, the club states that, “It has been very difficult to come to terms with saying goodbye, but it is the right decision for the organization. We are hopeful that we can find a buyer who will be able to enjoy the property as much as we have.”
Among the activities at Arrowflight were rock climbing, archery, swimming, BMX, hiking trails, canoeing and mountain boarding.
The club also insists that it remains committed to outdoor camps but they won’t be site specific.
“We have a number of options that we are actively exploring, and we will be running outdoor programs for kids next summer,” it states on the website.
“Additionally, we will have a full slate of active and fun summer day-camps and recreation programs in the 13 communities that we serve.”
Funds from the sale will go towards costs related to the camp as well as other Boys and Girls Club facilities.
“We’re optimistic we will see some of the investment out of it,” said Welder.
The property was previously owned by the Circle Square Ranch.