Last year the Easter Seals Society of BC and Yukon made the sad announcement that 2 of its 3 camps for disabled kids -- including Shawnigan Lake -- would not open this coming summer due to declining donations.
But the agency, also known as the BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities,has found a way to turn things around with a new "groundbreaking" vision and 10 year plan to re-imagine their properties and expand services, starting with the Shawnigan Lake Camp.
With its partners and stakeholders the Society is launching a $50-Million capital campaign which will see the summer camps continue -- and addition of skills and employment development, mixed housing, social enterprises and more, as funding is secured.
$10-million of those funds will be devoted to turning the Shawnigan property into a year-round community hub. Organizers foresee partnering with businesses to provide job training for young adults with disabilities.
Meantime -- after being shuttered last summer -- the camp will need to be fixed up in order to re-open in August.
There are also plans to upgrade the other camps at Squamish and Winfield, and build a new Urban Campus in Metro Vancouver with possible consolidation of programming into one site in the Lower Mainland.