Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, our individual and shared sense of reality and stability has certainly been shaken to its roots.
For children of the Mile End Community Mission – who were already facing so many life challenges and uncertainties due to a daily struggle with poverty – the pandemic seemed to further erode whatever sense of innocence they may have managed to hold onto.
Unable to engage the Mission’s children and families in group activities or outings for the past two years, we’ve missed so many opportunities to get together as a community and help support our young members and families through it all.
As things often unfold at the Mission, however, new possibilities unexpectedly came to us towards the end of last summer. At that time we received an email from Bishop Mary who introduced us to the good folks at the Quebec Lodge Outdoor Center who proposed an exciting opportunity to collaborate on a summer camp project.
The Quebec Lodge Outdoor Centre is a children’s summer camp located on 70 acres of forested land on the shores of Lake Massawippi in the Eastern Townships. The camp has an educational mandate to teach environmental awareness and healthy living. One of the guiding principles of the Quebec Lodge Foundation, which owns the camp, is to ensure that no child is prevented from attending for financial reasons.
For a number of years, we’ve wanted to develop a relationship with an innovative summer camp to send our kids to and we are thrilled to have finally found an enthusiastic partner. As the President of the Quebec Lodge Foundation, Ruth Sheeran, remarked, “We are very excited to be working with the Mile End Mission. It realizes a long-standing goal to bring children from low-income urban areas to the camp. We look forward to developing a constructive partnership.”
The aim of this project – which we’ve named A Nature Mission – is to provide a group of ten to twelve children, aged ten to fourteen, with a wonderful opportunity to spend a week in the country enjoying and learning about nature and the environment at the beautiful Quebec Lodge Outdoor center.
With support from both our own Bishop Mary and Bishop Bruce of Quebec, we submitted a funding application to the Anglican Foundation of Canada’s Say Yes! To kids 2021 call for proposals.
Just before the Christmas holidays, we received confirmation that our project had been accepted for funding and that we would receive $5,000 in the spring!
We are all very grateful for this funding which will cover the cost of camp fees for the children. The Quebec Lodge Foundation will cover the transportation costs, and the Mission will work with the QL Foundation to acquire the necessary supplies through
donations from individuals and businesses (e.g. bathing suits, sunscreen, sleeping bags etc.).
The camp experience is scheduled to take place over the last week two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, 2022, with groups of two to three children taking part for one week during this four-week time frame.
We are certain that following these past years’ tough lock-downs and restrictions, the children will more than benefit from a week at this camp with its beautiful open spaces from which to explore nature, develop new friendships and create lasting memories. They will also be able to revel in the freedom, independence and growth that comes from being away from home, probably for the first time in their lives.
Leaving behind all the traffic and noise on their way up to the camp, the children will gradually be able to disarm themselves of the various life challenges and constraints that often limit their curiosity and their sense of self, adventure and fun. It is also hoped that through this experience, the children will come to believe in the great potential their lives have for ongoing growth, change and new opportunities.
On a recent visit to the camp, I decided to remain at the picnic table outside the main hall while others went to check out the lake. As I sat there in silence, taking in nature on this beautiful warm and wind-free day, hundreds of leaves from the surrounding trees suddenly let go simultaneously, falling to the ground all around me. It was just their time to let go, I thought to myself. In those brief moments under the trees, I felt innocence, I felt wonder. This is my wish this for all the children who will take part in A Nature Mission this summer.
To learn more go to:
www.quebeclodge.org or https://mileendmission.org
