Year-round retreat coming to Cave Springs
Carolyn Hoxie walks the grounds of Cave Springs Camp and imagines the future here.
Hoxie is involved in the Legacy Hall project that will see a new building and revamp of the Beamsville property that she hopes will sustain it in the years to come.
An addition will be attached to the existing Hoxie Hall, the top floor offering a complete view of the Niagara region, with kitchen, room for offices and washrooms.
It’s the latest change to a property steeped in history.
“In the beginning, it wasn’t Niagara region yet. World War II had just ended, and they wanted a place where families and children could heal,” says Hoxie.
“It was more of a rustic camp here. Three churches bought the property, and eventually the United Church took it over. They worked with all leaders in the area for funding, and they chose this area because it’s unique.
“We ended up being the stewards of the land, and we have to recognize the United Church obligation and also original Anglican and Presbyterian church groups that helped fund that.”
But she says it’s time to open it up to the community.
Having been a camp counsellor, Hoxie knows that value of a retreat like Cave Springs.
“I was one of the early renters, and I would bring people here for discussion and team-building. People started noticing we don’t have a facility for people to rent that gives you a place for deeper discussion, bonding and team-building.”
She says that it’s hard to sustain any building with two months worth of income even though camping is considered a critical environment.
“At the same time our user groups, from May to Thanksgiving, are completely booked now for a couple of years. So really the community has responded.”
Hoxie says buildings coming down are ones that have become dilapidated.
The new build will be a four-season structure, for Sept. 1 to June 1, and is being designed to make full use of the property.
“What’s going to make it appealing, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority is doing trail development all around.
“We need to preserve this, development is coming,” says Hoxie.
“The camp will still operate here from July to August but will now be open for corporate retreats, women’s or men’s groups, cadets or school trips.”
Although half of fundraising of a total of $1.4 million needed has been raised, the group is reaching out to let people know its campaign is underway.
“We don’t want to have a huge mortgage because then it will no longer be affordable to user groups,” says Hoxie. “We’re also looking for committee members, people that also think we need this.”
In a perfect world, construction would be able to start in the fall of next year and be complete the following spring.
“We’ll start a rental program and would be fully booked by 2020.
“We want to take what organically grew and make it something people are aware of. All year round.
“In one of our guiding principals, we’re trying to grow in a way that respects what’s around us,” she says.
“A lot of times a building is there to make a statement. In our case we want the property to make the statement. Everything about the building design lends itself to that.”
For more information see the website at http://legacyhallproject.org.