Camp BB - Riback
Encyclopedia
Camp BB - Riback is a non-denominational, Jewish residential summer camp
located in Pine Lake, Alberta
.
, making it the oldest Jewish overnight camp in Western Canada. Originally established by Ted Riback, an American-born Calgarian with the help of the Calgary and Edmonton B'nai Brith lodges as Camp B'nai Brith, the camp was intended to provide a summer home for Jewish children from Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
In the late 1990s the camp disassociated itself with B'nai Brith, which led to its renaming. Due to the lengthy history of the camp already in place at the time, the camp Board decided to retain the "BB" initials, while at the same time paying homage to the camp's founder, Ted Riback. This resulted in the name used today.
Notably, when the deadly Pine Lake Tornado
struck in July 2000, the camp was spared any damage as the tornado touched down on the north side of the camp, and then proceeded to "jump" over the camp, leading to its eventual touchdown at the Green Acres Campground.
In the summer of 2005, the Camp celebrated its 50th anniversary with an alumni reunion prior to the camp season attended by the elderly founder of the camp, Ted Riback.
While at camp, campers participate in activities ranging from horseback riding to jewellery, from canoeing to wall climbing and many more. Camp BB runs two sessions during the summer, the first for three and a half weeks, the second for three weeks, while also offering a one week long program for younger campers.
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
located in Pine Lake, Alberta
Pine Lake, Alberta
Pine Lake is an unincorporated community in the province of Alberta.-Name:Pine Lake got its name from the adjacent lake, the lake used to be known as Ghost Pine Lake from a native legend.-History:The Pine Lake post office opened in 1895...
.
History
Camp BB - Riback was founded in 1955 on the shores of Pine Lake, just outside of Red Deer, AlbertaRed Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
, making it the oldest Jewish overnight camp in Western Canada. Originally established by Ted Riback, an American-born Calgarian with the help of the Calgary and Edmonton B'nai Brith lodges as Camp B'nai Brith, the camp was intended to provide a summer home for Jewish children from Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
In the late 1990s the camp disassociated itself with B'nai Brith, which led to its renaming. Due to the lengthy history of the camp already in place at the time, the camp Board decided to retain the "BB" initials, while at the same time paying homage to the camp's founder, Ted Riback. This resulted in the name used today.
Notably, when the deadly Pine Lake Tornado
Pine Lake, Alberta Tornado
The Pine Lake, Alberta Tornado was a deadly tornado in central Alberta on July 14, 2000 that struck a campground and trailer park. Twelve people were killed, making it the first killer tornado in Canada since 1994 when a doctor was killed by an F2 tornado in Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, Quebec...
struck in July 2000, the camp was spared any damage as the tornado touched down on the north side of the camp, and then proceeded to "jump" over the camp, leading to its eventual touchdown at the Green Acres Campground.
In the summer of 2005, the Camp celebrated its 50th anniversary with an alumni reunion prior to the camp season attended by the elderly founder of the camp, Ted Riback.
Structure
Camp BB serves non-Jewish and Jewish children (though the camp is officially Jewish) from Grade 1 through Grade 10, after which, many "graduates" are invited to return as staff members. The physical camp is broken into three living areas; Boy's Side for boys in grades 1-8, Girl's Side for girls in grades 1-8, and The Village for both boys and girls (though in separate cabins) in grades 9 and 10.While at camp, campers participate in activities ranging from horseback riding to jewellery, from canoeing to wall climbing and many more. Camp BB runs two sessions during the summer, the first for three and a half weeks, the second for three weeks, while also offering a one week long program for younger campers.
Trivia
- Camp BB has hosted campers from IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Paris, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Toronto, and the United States - The former director, Max Lipsman, has served in that position since 2000, making him one of the longest serving Directors in Camp History
- Following the Pine Lake Tornado of 2000, the camp built a storm shelter, which is built to the standards of a bomb shelter. It now serves as the emergency hub for much of Pine Lake.