Organized by the University of British Columbia President N.A.M. MacKenzie and Gordon Shrum in 1945 to provide housing for returning veterans interested in continuing their education, Acadia Camp became the first residential unit on campus. Army huts assembled on the university grounds helped alleviate serious accommodation shortages following World War II. The Acadia Camp Householders' Association was formed shortly after 1945 to address the collective interests of the residents.