The history of Camp Sunrise dates back to the year 1925, when Colonel Arch Layman, the newly appointed Divisional Commander, found there was no camp for the Vancouver area and immediately set out to resolve the difficulty.

Capt. Fraser Morrison, who was the Divisional Youth People's Secretary at the time, teamed up with the Colonel and they went to Gibsons, borrowed a boat from the Y.M.C.A., and rowed up and down the shore, sleeping on beaches, until they located the present site.

Mr. Gooding (after whom Gooding Hall is named), a contractor, proved to be of great help to the Sunrise team. They travelled together to the camp, stayed in tents,, while they started the first footings for the main building, which is the present Gooding Hall. A "work bee" was organised on the old fashioned basis, with a number of Salvationist carpenters and construction workers from the Vancouver area. Some went up and stayed overnight, while others came the next morning. The main building was practically constructed in one day! The first year of Sunrise, they could do no other than to sleep in tents.

From that day to this, we have developed the excellent facilities we now enjoy so much. We trust the developments of the future will only help to enhance the lives of the young people for which the camp was brought into being.