About Us
Arlington Beach Camp & Conference Centre
About Us
God has used this place to reach the lives of many people through the rich heritage of the Christian camping ministry. Whether it be through Family Camp, Kids Camp, September Days, Ladies Retreat, Marriage Retreat, Men’s Time Out, Festival of Praise, or School’s Out Day Camps, God has been working and we will continue to pray that He works in the lives of people who come to this place, daily.
Our Mission
Arlington Beach is a place where people of all ages learn the way of Jesus, experience community, and celebrate creation
We exist to make Jesus visible in the world by…
- welcoming all with hospitality, kindness, and respect
- being a place of rest, play, and renewal
- practicing friendship, reconciliation, and authentic community
- equipping leaders to serve with compassion and joy
History of Arlington Beach
In 1910, the Arlington Beach House was built on the eastern shores of Last Mountain Lake. It was the center of William Pearson Land Company’s activity, and it became one of the most popular resort hotels in Saskatchewan at the time. Before the railroad was built, steamships would bring customers to Arlington Beach from all over Last Mountain Lake. Arlington Beach was known as a place for great swimming, fishing, boating, community events, and more. Public buildings on the land besides the Beach House included a dressing room for swimmers, a boathouse, a bandshell, and a small building that was used for selling tickets to sporting events in the area. The Canadian Sunday School Mission bought the hotel in 1942. The dressing rooms and boathouse were turned into dorms. Later in 1960, the Free Methodist Church in Canada bought the camp after renting the space for two years.
Before the Free Methodist Church held summer camp at Arlington Beach, it was held in Kingsway Park in Moose Jaw. Some of these camps for children and teens were sponsored by CSSM and some by the Canada West Conference of the Free Methodist Church in Canada. Then in 1965-6, the Conference moved their buildings from the Moose Jaw location to Arlington Beach. They began holding their Annual Conference and Family Camp at this new location. Calvin and Edith Dies from Kindersley ran a seasonal Camp store and soon retired to Arlington where they worked many years at many different jobs at the camp. Three generations of the Dies family have lived and worked tirelessly at Arlington. Soon other families were coming with 2, 3, and 4 generations to participate and volunteer at Arlington following the example of Mom-and-Pop Dies. The Kinney Memorial Lodge was built in the 70s, and many church denominations and community user groups began to experience year-round Arlington hospitality for their camps, retreats, and reunions.
There is an archival display of the history of Arlington Beach and its ministries in the Westview Chapel Museum on the campgrounds along with displays about the Free Methodist Church in Western Canada.