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A Brief History of Salem Acres


Salem Acres was registered in 1978. The founders, John Adams and Herb Styles, had two complementary visions – to provide a farm home for young men who had been in trouble with the law and to establish a Christian camp. Both sides of that vision have been realized. Until 1998, Salem Acres operated a residential program for troubled young men who had experienced prison. Soon there was a shift to working with younger people and emphasizing prevention before serious trouble occurred, and a camp vision emerged. The summer camp vision began with Salem Studies, which was a summer time family camp designed to engage families in community and Bible study intertwined with fun activities. More than 25 years later, the camp vision is now the focus of our organization, which is reflected in our name change to Salem Acres Bible Camp. From Canada Day until Labour Day, Salem Acres Summer Camps offer a broad age range of structured camps for kids from seven years old through to high school – and our Family Camp, which hosts “kids” of all ages, is a great way for your family to experience camp together! Throughout the rest of the year, we have expanded our ministry to support groups who need facilities like ours for retreats and conferences. From September through the end of June, Salem Acres offers retreats to groups who share our values which include affordable accommodation, catering, and program facilities all wrapped up in the serenity of our beautiful location on the Red Deer River. Our facilities have grown from canvas tents and makeshift shelters to the ability to a chapel, indoor and outdoor cabins, and a commercial dining hall to now accommodate 135 guests! We also have hookups for RVs and plenty of tenting space for the brave! Many areas on our property have special meaning to those who have visited us. They are a witness to the goodness of our God in His wondrous creation and His faithfulness in blessing our ministry in the lives He changes. We praise Him for the part we have played in the story of others and we trust Him for all that’s to come!

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