History of Salvation Army Camping Ministries

The earliest recorded camp programs operated by The Salvation Army were conducted in England in 1898. Subsequent years saw the development of ‘Poor Children’s Picnics’, an extensive program where large numbers of low-income children from the city streets were given a day in the country.

As time went on, camps were organized, extending the outing period to a week or 10 days. The purpose was to build up the children with good food and lots of fresh air. Each child was weighed at the time of arrival and again at departure, with success of the program gauged largely on the weight gained.

In Canada, the Army’s first ‘fresh air’ camp for less fortunate children was held in Winnipeg in 1900. Today, more than 5,100 children attend Salvation Army week-long and day camps each summer - including almost 600 children that attend Scotian Glen Camp.

The first record of Scotian Glen Camp comes from 1953 when it was believed that the first music camp was held in Nova Scotia. The earliest photos that exist are from 1959 - including the photo at the top of this page. As Scotian Glen Camp celebrates its 70th camping season, we acknowledge the thousands of people that have come through the camp, the faithfulness of its dedicated employees, and the goodness of God through it all.