In 1960, a team of innovative philanthropists had a vision. Looking out at a decommissioned 19thcentury steamship dock on the pristine shores of Lake Joseph they saw the glimmer of opportunity. The brush and the trees brimmed with potential; they had arrived at the perfect foundation to build a perennial sanctuary for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) ran an overnight program in Ancaster from 1956 to 1959, leasing a church camp for three weeks each summer. The sessions were an outstanding success, affording campers with sight loss the chance to engage in coveted summertime activities - campfires, card games, music, crafts, even earning their Red Cross swimming certificate - in a safe and inclusive environment.
The property is outfitted with marked railings and audio devices to guide campers; basketballs rattle to indicate their location; tandem bikes whiz by; around every corner innovation and creativity is making the impossible possible and changing perceptions about what it is to be blind. Children can go kayaking, tubing, and fishing, then sit by the fire, roast marshmallows, and sing and laugh together. Alain Saumur (Senior Director, Philanthropy, CNIB) beams detailing the far-reaching impact of the camp: “I met a young man from the Yukon…he was a camper at CNIB Lake Joe and learned how to sail. Two years ago he became a camp counsellor. Last year he represented Canada in a sailing competition - and won! Next year he’s planning to go to college.
"EARTH AND SKY, WOODS AND FIELDS, LAKES AND RIVERS, THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SEA, ARE EXCELLENT SCHOOLMASTERS, AND TEACH SOME OF US MORE THAN WE CAN EVER LEARN FROM BOOKS." -JOHN LUBBOCK
The program continued to grow and called for a permanent home, so the following year CNIB partnered with the Canadian Council of the Blind and the Lions Clubs of Ontario to purchase 12.5 acres of charming waterfront property on the northwest corner of Lake Joseph. The parcel - once a Canadian National Railway station serving Lakes Joseph, Rosseau and Muskoka - was restored beautifully, and hosted its first cycle of campers in 1961. In the decades since it has evolved and expanded to facilitate the dynamic needs of children, youth, and the young-at-heart by curating a unique blend of recreation and skills development programs to build confidence, cultivate new relationships, and discover independence. Today CNIB Lake Joe provides a distinctly Canadian experience to more than 1,000 participants each summer. Children problem solve and learn responsibility in a comfortable and mutually respectful community that understands the nuances and challenges of living with sight loss. A camper describes their experience as the first time they finally felt inconspicuous. “I felt like I belonged, and I wasn’t embarrassed about my white cane.”
It demonstrates the evolution of what this camp can do for one person. It shows them that anything is possible.” CNIB Lake Joe also hosts an annual retreat for veterans from Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto and Parkwood Hospital in London. It is a testament to the legacy of CNIB, whose founders established the organization in 1918 to support troops returning blind from the First World War. The organization has pioneered countless initiatives and continues to lobby passionately for the rights of Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. Each year the Lake Joe Vision Team organizes a themed event to raise funds for the continued operation and development of the facility. Saumur explains, “We can't do this alone. We need people not only to fund the project, but also to support us and help us with connections. We want people driving to their cottages to look up CNIB Lake Joe and say `I’m part of something that changes the lives of people with sight loss. I support it, I contribute to it, and I am proud to be a part of it.” To support CNIB Lake Joe visit CNIBLakeJoe.ca/Donate