Camping Conference 2026
Empowering Camp Leaders to Make Every Summer Count
The 2026 Linked Conference will be taking place on March 3-5, with additional training opportunities on March 2. Our annual conference event brings all of us camp people together to learn, grow, connect, and leave inspired as we head into the 2026 summer season.
March 3 and 4 will be content around general camp training, leadership and of course, connecting. March 5 will offer more sessions and worship led by CCI.
Registration Info
Review the different options for the 2026 conference.
Conference
FULL CONFERENCE
Join us for the complete 3-day experience! Enjoy all sessions and speakers, access to the vendor hall, delicious meals, and comfortable accommodations, all included. Learn, connect, and recharge with fellow attendees for a wonderful conference!
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Both shared, couple and individual room options available*.
$220 | MCA &CCI Members
$245 | Non-Members
Conference
SINGLE DAY
Can’t join us for all three days? No problem! This option lets you enjoy a day of sessions and speakers. Includes lunch and dinner, but no breakfast or overnight stay. Perfect for those who want a taste of the conference in one action-packed day!
$85 | MCA & CCI Members
$105 | Non-Members
*Couples and individual rooms will be an additional cost of $25 added at registration (limited spots available).
Schedule
TUESDAY
4-6 PM
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9:30 PM
| Arrival & Registration
| Supper Sponsored by Pratt’s Wholesale
| Keynote Session 1
| Fun Time
| Freetime & snack
Keynote
Speakers
TUESDAY SPEAKER
Mandi Baker, PhD
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Kinesiology & Recreation Management
University of Manitoba
Mandi Baker, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba. Mandi is a passionate researcher, professor/teacher, sociologist, author and storyteller. Mandi's research explores the emotional demands (emotional labour), people skills (Affective Abilities), and organisational contexts (power-relations) of people-centric service work. She explores these concepts in organized outdoor experiences, youth & community development, recreation and leisure contexts, and, more recently, in health service provision. Her work explores everyday work experiences through sociological concepts to offer fresh insights to ethical and sustainable leadership and education. More recently, Mandi’s work has delved into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices within outdoor leisure.
THURSDAY SPEAKER
Bryan Neisteter
Gospel Mission Discipleship School Director
Bio coming soon...
Breakout
Speakers
Check out a sneak peek of our 2026 breakout session speaker list.
More speakers will be joining this list as we get closer to the event.
Jordan Friesen, O.T. Reg. (MB)
Founder & President
Mindset Mental Health Strategy Inc.
TOPICS
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Caring for staff mental health
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Working with Gen Z Staff
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DAN INGRAM
Executive Director
Circle Square Ranch
TOPICS
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The Joy of Multi-Ethnic Staff Teams
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Mandi Baker
Assistant Professor
University of Manitoba
TOPICS
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Creating Cultures of Mattering
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Dale Wiebe
Executive Director
Winkler Bible Camp
TOPICS
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“You Only Have 100% to Give”: Giving your best to work, family, and faith—wisely.
Steve Archibald
Executive Director
Medeba
TOPICS
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Risk Management
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Decision Making
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Absolute dedication and burnout
Nancy Paschke
Standards & Accreditation
Manitoba Camping
TOPICS
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Learn to prepare for accreditation, about visits and how the MCA supports its members
Standard First-Aid
Pre-Training
Learn how to save lives by enrolling in our comprehensive two-day course focused on first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED for adults, children, and infants. This course is perfect for camp staff who wants to improve their knowledge for personal reasons and to be equipped for the summer season.
ABOUT RECERTIFICATION
Please note that you only qualify for recertification if your current certification has not expired by the training date. If it is expired, you will need to sign up for the whole course.
How does Standard First Aid fit into My Accreditation Requirements for the MCA?
STANDARD HC13
Program leadership holds a minimum of the Standard First Aid Certificate & CPR – C, from a recognized certified body (e.g., Program Director, Waterfront Director, Head Wrangler, Boating Director, Section Heads, etc.)
STANDARD HC16
The camp has a copy of qualifications for the Designated Health Officer(s) demonstrating that they hold at least:
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Current Standard First Aid and current CPR certification when working at a camp that is readily accessible to emergency medical services.
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Sites/camps that don’t have emergency services readily available should consider advanced training such as Wilderness First Aid, EMR training, licensed RN, licensed Physician or equivalent.
Location
Winkler Bible Camp
16037 MB-3, Winkler, MB R6P 0G9