Discussions

Mrs. Evelyn Dunn the Maples Matron said that they were “one big happy family” at their summer camp. On Thursday July 1st about twenty children aged from four to eleven, and six Staff members were off to Sandy Lake for a two-month holiday.  
 
When the camps first started four years earlier they were only for two weeks. The second year it was for three, and the third year it was for four weeks. The extra month they were about to enjoy was made available because of a contribution from the Brandon Area Foundation.  
 
Mrs Dunn explained that the length of the camp had been extended because it was found that the children benefited so much from the time spent at the lake.  
 
They benefit, she said because “the Staff is with them 24 hours a day, and the children know this.” There is no shift work and the staff and children bunk in the same sleeping quarters in the four rented cabins, as well as share meals, and recreational activities.  
 
The children gain confidence from this continuous relationship, and the Staff also benefits from the summer camp because members have this opportunity to get to know the children.  
 
All of the children form a close-knit relationship with one, and other even the older children enjoy playing with the younger ones”.  
 
Mrs. Dunn spoke of the time when the Maples children were sent to a number of different camps, but she found it was better to take all the children to the same camp. It was found that the Staff was spending their summer continually getting different children ready for different camps.  
 
In August of 1967 the Maples children joined other Children’s Aid youngsters for two weeks holidays at Clear Lake. Brandon Rotarians who sponsored the summer holiday each year provided cars. In total, some sixty children were transported to camp in the annual Rotary project.  
 
The Sandy Lake camp was also started because the Maples children “did not fit in” at regular camps because some of them had behavioural, and emotional problems, with some being both physically, and mentally challenged.  
 
Their brief attention span caused them to fall behind the other children, causing the camp councillors to try to bring them up to the others. This “help” was actually too much pressure causing to the child to flee the camp, or just become rebellious, and cause trouble.  
 
At the Sandy Lake camp the children were allowed to do what they wanted, when they wanted at their individual pace, their only organizer was Mother Nature.  
 
They lived in their bathing suits, and at an organized camp they could not do that because they would have to swim at swim time, and rest at rest time.  
 
At Sandy Lake there was a variety of activities in which they could participate at will, swimming was number one, followed by fishing, hiking, swimming, roller skating, miniature golf, baseball, soccer, lawn darts, and on rainy days crafts, and cards.  
 
Six Staff members were on site to supervise, and participate in all activities. Three summer staff were hired, one was the regular summer replacement, the provincial S.T.E.P. program funded the others. Two of the regular Staff from the Maples spent the summer at the camp, and Mrs. Dunn undertook the cooking.  
 
Note: Daly House Museum is trying to contact past residents of this institution. If anyone is interested in telling their story please PM me and I will arrange a meeting to help record the history of this 40 year period in Brandon’s social history.  
 
Source: Daly House Museum Archives