Staffing shortage threatens summer at Camp Misquah for ‘people with differences’

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Elizabeth Langan pauses for half a second when she’s asked what she loves best about Camp Misquah.

“I love everything,” she says.

“I do love all the dancing and all the talent nights,” she adds. “And the banquet nights too.”

Langan, who will be 31 this summer, has been attending Camp Misquah since she was 18. For more than half a century, the camp on Lac Bitobi near Gracefield, Que., 90 minutes north of Ottawa, has offered a traditional summer camp experience for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

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But a shortage of staff looms over Misquah this summer, threatening to cut the number of campers who can attend, maybe even cancelling the season altogether.

“The concern about hiring staff is something that happens every year, but it feels a little more desperate this year,” says Mark Wigmore, a member of Camp Misquah’s board of directors.

“We have a couple of board meetings coming up where we have to decide, ‘Can we run a camp? How big can it be? Do we have to scale back? Do we have to say ‘no’ to a bunch of campers who we’ve already said ‘yes’ to?”

Some of Misquah’s campers have high medical needs, so councillors with medical knowledge — nursing students are ideal — are essential.

“Without the medical stuff handled, we could not run a safe camp,” Wigmore says. “Without nursing students, we’d have to cancel. And nobody wants to go there.”

Also needed is a cook.

“They’re making 100 meals, three times a day,” he says. “You need to have someone who knows how to get that done.”

Wigmore joined the board after both his kids worked as counsellors at Misquah when they were in high school. He also fundraises for the camp during Ottawa Race Weekend, completing the 5k last weekend as the Misquah Moose.

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An experience at Camp Misquah, he says, “gives a new perspective on life: simple joys, easy laughter, a place of respect and kindness.”

The camp runs for six weeks over the summer, with one week devoted to children, and five for adults. Some Misquah campers are now in their 70s and have been attending for half a century. The camp has even received federal funding to convert one cabin to be more senior friendly, with better insulation, air conditioning and easier access to bathrooms.

It can accommodate 55 campers and tries to maintain a nearly 2:1 ratio of camper to staff. Camp director Robin Kirk is hoping to hire 35 staff this summer. Kirk, 24, started working at Misquah as a high school student and now juggles her camp duties with a job as a supply teacher in Ottawa.

“Our goal is to make an inclusive camp experience and an accessible camp experience for people who might not be able to have that elsewhere,” she says.

“We do a lot of the classic camp things, like camp fires, boating, swimming, all the standard camp activities. But there’s a high degree of support, so we have a high level of staffing.”

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The $60 a day pay comes with free room and board for the summer and specialized training. But the rewards of Misquah are more than monetary, she says, more than just learning about responsibility and accountability.

“It’s not just the things you see on paper. It’s the campers. The amazing connections you make with them and to see how excited everyone is to be there. It’s such a happy experience. People are so excited to be involved in camp and to be there together with each other. It’s a bit like coming home to a family you haven’t seen all year.”

For Lyne Filion, Elizabeth Langan’s mother, Camp Misquah offers Elizabeth a chance to feel independent. Elizabeth, who has Down syndrome, is a survivor of the 2019 Westboro bus crash.

“People don’t understand how important Camp Misquah is, especially for the adults,” Filion says. “They need respite from their lives. It’s not about their parents needing respite. It’s to not be with with parents who nag them about chores. It’s a vacation for them.

“Often, adults with differences don’t have the opportunity to travel on their own and be with their peers. They’re chaperoned with family members or caregivers. They’re always surrounded by professionals. So having the opportunity to go away on their own for a week, being in nature, sleeping in a cabin, being with friends — having those parties and dances in the evening — it makes them feel like they’re independent.”

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The Camp Misquah board meets June 3 to make preliminary decisions about the summer program. A final decision on the season, including whether it happens at all, will be made on June 17.

Those interested in working at the camp or finding out more about Camp Misquah can visit campmisquah.com

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