Stories from Camp Easter Seal

Not sure what to expect? Have a look at what previous campers have discovered at Camp Easter Seal. There's plenty to see and do at our camp. Come share the experience, and tell us your own story!

Camp Easter Seal – 'A Special Place to Work and to Play'

Working at Camp Easter Seal as a camp counsellor is more than just a summer job. "I love camp. It is one place where everyone fits in. No on judges people based on their ability levels. The campers are amazing. Everyone has that group of campers that can make them smile at any moment," says Amery Deren, Program Director.

Camp Easter Seal is a place where barriers are removed to create a true camping experience for kids with disabilities. Camp Easter Seal has a large heated indoor swimming pool, a recreation centre, picnic areas, therapeutic garden, canoes, pontoon boat, horseback riding, wheelchair swing, and much more. The facilities are fully wheelchair accessible so EVERYONE can participate.

Each summer, university-age students are hired as camp counsellors for the summer season at Camp Easter Seal. Counsellors contribute an important part of what it takes to make camp fun and meaningful for campers. Intensive training including workshops, simulations, and exercises are used to prepare counsellors for the diverse needs of the campers. Camp Easter Seal also has nurses on staff to provide medical support for the campers.

The energy and spirit at Camp Easter Seal has many counsellors going back for several summers in a row. Kara Smith, Senior Counsellor, has worked at Camp Easter for four consecutive summers, "I return to camp because I love my job. Getting to see the campers again each year and welcoming new ones is always so exciting. The bond that you make with campers each week is very special, it's just hard to quit coming back."

Kara Smith has seen first-hand the positive impact a one-week session at Camp Easter Seal can have on the campers, "Campers go home with more confidence and independence to take on the challenges in their daily lives." Kara has also had parents comment on how much positive change they have noticed in their child. "Camp is a place where kids with disabilities can come and not feel different. It's a place where their disability does not hinder them from doing things like horseback riding, camping, or boating," says Nicole Germaine, first year counsellor.

A summer spent working at Camp Easter Seal can be life-changing for some counsellors. They are not only touched deeply by the kids who attend camp but have an opportunity to grow and learn as an individual. Nicole Germaine comments on her first experience as a counsellor, "Working with the campers showed me how to be selfless and what it is like to have to give that unconditional love that parents give to their children."

Counsellors at Camp Easter Seal share a common goal - to ensure that campers gain confidence, develop new skills, and have a blast! Amery Deren says she is most proud when campers come back the next year and remember that she dressed up with a watermelon on her head! "I'm glad to know I made an impact on their lives as I know they have all touched me. They have given me memories that will last a lifetime."

Reflecting on her first year as a counsellor, Nicole Germaine fittingly describes the spirit of Camp Easter Seal, "Everyone always says that special people work at Camp Easter Seal and special people attend the camps. I am proud to be one of those special people."