The Camp Onas Summer season is rapidly approaching, and we have been working hard to prepare Camp for another amazing summer!

In the upcoming weeks, you will receive several important emails from us with updates and information to get ready for Camp. This message provides an update on the Showerhouse Project. The construction project is not yet complete, and we could not guarantee its completion before the summer season begins.  In the best interest of our campers, staff, and families, we decided to use the temporary shower and bathroom facilities again this summer. 

We know this likely is not the news you were hoping to hear about our Showerhouse project, but making this decision earlier has provided us more time to plan and make process improvements based on what we learned last year. It also enabled us to welcome school and community organization groups, important members of our community, back to Onas this spring for the first time in several years. Some of the improvements we want to share with you include…

• Installing outdoor sinks and water fountains for more convenient hand-washing and water bottle refills. This is SO important at summer camp, and makes it much easier for everyone to stay healthy, and spend more time having fun!
• Replacing small propane canisters (which resulted in cold water way too often!) with larger tanks so that the hot water supply is more consistent and lasts longer.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. In the meantime, you will continue to hear from us leading up to the summer, as we look forward to welcoming campers in a few short weeks!

Warm regards,
The Camp Onas Staff

Have questions? Below are the answers to some of the questions we anticipate. If you are curious about something we didn’t answer here, please reach out. We will do our best to help! 

 

This seems like a long time for two buildings. What’s going on? 

Agreed! We certainly didn’t expect this either. Camp Onas has had difficulty navigating a change in contractors, and that has led to delays.

Where are the trailers ?

They are currently set-up and ready-to-go on each of the sides, adjacent to where the new Showerhouses will be.

What is the layout of the temporary units? Will they provide privacy?

Yes, the privacy provided by the temporary units is a big improvement over the old showerhouses (they’re a bit fancier too)! They have individual, private shower stalls and bathrooms, each with fans for air flow, so that everyone can stay cool while having privacy. 

Will construction continue throughout the summer?

No, we continue to prioritize our summer program! We have paused all construction and have created barriers to mark the new off-limits areas.

Will the trailers have enough showers, toilets, and sinks for the campers and staff?

Yes! In terms of capacity, the number of showers (8) and toilets (4) was enough last summer and we have the same number of people coming to camp. The big change (for the better) is the addition of sinks and water fountains outside of the units as well as much larger propane tanks. 

Last summer propane running out caused several cold showers that while novel, are not something we want to repeat!

Will this change the camp schedule?

No, it will not. We didn’t experience any noticeable changes in last summer’s schedule, and because the units are the same (with some improvements), we do not anticipate schedule changes this year, either.

How will the trailers be maintained?

Just as the previous Showerhouses were maintained daily, the trailers will be cleaned, sanitized, and stocked with supplies every day.  Trained staff will oversee the cleaning and sanitizing, and campers will help with tasks like sweeping and taking out trash as part of “crews” (“crews” is the part of the day where we all pitch in to help keep Onas nice and clean). Any necessary repairs will be handled by the rental company, as part of our agreement.

Are the bathrooms Porta-Potties?

No. The units will have hot and cold water, flushing toilets, and electricity. They will connect to our existing power, water, and septic, just like permanent buildings would.