Kids enjoy simple summer pleasures
By JULIE QUENNEVILLE
The Chronicle
Not all children have the chance to enjoy fresh air, outdoor
activities and sing-a-longs during the summer, but Camp Amy
Molson is dedicated to changing that.
Costs for the residential camp operate on a sliding scale,
rising up to $480 per two-week session, to allow underprivileged
children to attend.
Executive director Georgina Ricard said the actual cost
is $700 per child and the provincial government and Centraide
fund the camp. Remaining costs are covered by donations.
We're always in need of money.We're always in deficit, she
said.
The Grenville, Que., camp was founded in 1944 by the Ladies
Benevolent Society, thanks to money donated by Amy Molson.
At the time, it welcomed orphans. Today, 150 campers aged
four to 12 and 70 staff members attend.
A lot of the kids are sent here and they don’t really
want to be here, but by the time they leave, they don’t
want to leave,” Ricard said.
'We have really good role models. It's something I think
they remember for years.'
Jelani Lattimore, 11, of Pierrefonds, has been attending
Camp Amy Molson for four years. He said he looks forward
to it every year.
'(Yesterday), I did swimming, baseball, pottery. . . we
had lunch then we had cabin choice,' he said. Cabin choice
allows the children to decide what they want to do, so the
boys chose to practice a dance routine they later presented
to the rest of the campers.
Pincourt resident Amanda Fairchild, 11, stays in touch with
her camp friends during the year. She loves the camp and
hopes to eventually become a counselor, she said.
Some campers are sponsored by CLSCs or Batshaw Youth and
Family Services. Cathy Carroll, manager of camping referrals
at Batshaw, said camps are good for all children, but “I
think for our kids it's more important because for a lot
of them, they don’t go on vacation. It's the only time
they can get off the street, she said. Some children are
left unsupervised and at risk during the summer, she added,
so they have to be placed in temporary homes.
'For us, it’s an important time to get them out of
the city and just be kids. A lot of our kids are also older
than they should be.'
Carroll sends about 600 children to camp each year, but
another 100 are on a waiting list. She blames lack of government
funding, which she said has not changed since 1992, while
the number of children in need has tripled, and camp costs
have doubled.
Pointe Claire resident Shauna Joyce feels she has helped
many children during her seven years at the camp.
'A lot of them have hard lives and they will open up to
you if you just stop and listen,' said the 21-year-old. 'I
don't think we can change the kids in two weeks but just
being accepted and being loved makes a difference.'
However, her first year was difficult emotionally. She recalled
being on night supervision and comforting a seven-year-old
boy with recurring nightmares.
'He had seen his father get shot that year and he talked
about it very easily.'
Being a counselor is very rewarding, Joyce added.
“There’s people here who (the children) really
respect and who they really care about and they won't talk
to just anyone so when they do open up to you, you really
feel like you've gotten through.
Danny Labreque, a 23-year-old counselor from Dollard des
Ormeaux, agreed.
'You feel like you really help the kids out. Last year,
one kid told me that he wished I were his father. Little
things like that will make the summer worthwhile.'
To contact Camp Amy Molson, call (514) 484-9919.
