Saskatchewan flood hits Lutheran camp

By Keven Drews

When the lake level threatened buildings, volunteers moved appliances to higher ground.

They’ve got some cleaning to do at Saskatchewan’s Camp Lutherland.

Camp officials and volunteers will have to wash walls and scrub floors after floodwaters surrounded two buildings recently.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Phyllis Pantel, camp manager, of the flood Tuesday. “[The flood’s] supposed to have peaked either yesterday or today. Now it’s just the cleanup afterwards.”

The flood is directly related to melting snow. Winter runoff has entered a handful of lakes surrounding Fort Qu-Appelle, Sask., including Pasqua Lake, home of Camp Lutherland. As a result, lake levels have risen and flooded cottages, homes and camps.

The Canadian Press reports water levels 30 centimetres higher than a 1974 record, and the provincial government has designated 23 municipalities as eligible disaster areas.

Pantel said Pasqua Lake has risen as much as 1.8 metres, and floodwaters are as deep as 25-30 centimetres around the camp’s dining hall. She said rising waters have reached – but not yet flooded – the lecture hall.

After the flood recedes, volunteers will likely have to wash watermarks off walls, fix drywall and clean cement floors, she said.

Pantel said she expects limited damage because camp volunteers removed fridges, stoves, deep freezers, tables and chairs from the buildings before the waters began to rise. “The main building is much higher up and is not in danger,” reported Rev. Michael Keith a Camp Lutherland board member. “It would take thousands of dollars of sand bags [to protect the buildings], so we took out all the stuff we could and put the appliances up…and that is all we can do.”

The camp has scheduled a cleaning day for May 17.

Built on 1.2-1.6 hectares of land, Camp Lutherland serves Lutheran and non-Lutheran families of southern Saskatchewan.

The camp is located about a 45-minute drive northeast of Regina and offers guests a lodge, kitchen/dining hall, a lecture and craft hall, a chapel, summer dormitories and washrooms.

Pantel said some families have scheduled reunions at the camp for June.

Children’s and youth camps begin in July.

For more information on Camp Lutherland go to www.camplutherland.com

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