Amidst a busy awards season and celebrating 25 years in business, staff from Amsted Design-Build and sister company Restore-All Corporation, found time to come together for their annual trip to the Boys & Girls Club of Ottawa’s Camp Smitty. Joined by family and valued trade partners, this year’s team boasted over 50 people who volunteered their time and skills to provide necessary upgrades to the Camp’s aging infrastructure.
Among the list of tasks accomplished, this hard-working team repaired a roof, installed eavestrough, replaced windows, ran water to the Arts cabin, removed trees necessary for safety, renovated a bathroom, brought light to the Camp’s amphitheater, and finally, tore down and cleared away the Camp’s old and collapsing Rec Hall.
“Our team is accustomed to preserving the beauty in older buildings, and while restoration wasn’t the best route in this case, the crew was careful to save campers’ memories, recovering boards with colourings and signatures as well as the Camp’s bird house.” explains Amsted’s owner, Steve Barkhouse. “Just like our clients’ homes, there is a lot of history there worth acknowledging and saving.”
Along with Restore-All Corporation, the two companies have been visiting Camp Smitty for over 10 years, supporting the organization in their efforts to ensure kids of all means have access to the summer camp experience.