CAMP BRIGADOON
“To me, camp means home.†This is how one camper summed up his experience at Camp Brigadoon, a non-profit facility on Aylesford Lake. Brigadoon hosts children, youth and families living with a chronic illness, chronic condition, or special need, giving them a chance to be themselves for a few days – not a patient, a chart full of symptoms, or ‘good little soldier’.
For many who attend Brigadoon, the camp experience is not just fun, but transformational. A child at last summer’s bereavement camp explains why: “My favourite part of camp was not feeling alone and meeting people that were going through the same things. I felt like they understood.†For children living with a chronic illness or other need, opportunities for self-discovery can be limited by conditions, treatments, and stereotypes. Brigadoon allows campers to find solidarity and companionship among their peers while getting active and developing their skills in activities that include aquatics, outdoor recreation, visual and performing arts, and environmental education.
Across nine weeks of camping time each summer, Brigadoon offers one full camp, with 100 campers plus staff, or two half camps, with 40-60 campers plus staff, each week. Below is a list of the camps on offer this summer. For more information, or to register your child or youth, visit:
www.brigadoonvillage.org
By Charlotte Rogers
Camp See-YaÂ
(Bling and Visual Impairment)
June 29 – July 4
Camp Carpe DiemÂ
(Epilepsy)June 29 – July 4
Camp BraveheartÂ
(Cardiac)July 6 – 11Â
Camp Lots-a-WataÂ
(Nephrology)July 6 – 11Â
Camp JoinTogetherÂ
(Arthritis)July 13 – 18Â
Camp KedooopseÂ
(Bereavement)July 20 – 25Â
Camp Treasure ChestÂ
(Asthma)July 27 – August 1
Camp TrailblazersÂ
(Craniofacial/Facial Differences)August 3 – 7Â
Camp Guts and GloryÂ
(Crohn’s and Colitis)August 10 – 15Â
The Canadian Cancer Society’s Camp Goodtime
(Oncology)August 17 – 22Â
Camp Silly YakÂ
(Celiac Disease)August 24 – 29Â
