By: Llonella Gilbert
Communications Lead, CNIB Lake Joe
My name is Llonella Gilbert, and I’m the summer Communications Lead at CNIB Lake Joe. I’m an international student from the Bahamas and am completing a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations at Humber College.
This is my first time at a camp, and I wanted to share with our readers what goes on behind the scenes to prepare for the summer at CNIB Lake Joe.
The seasonal staff team gathered in May for orientation and rigorous training.
“It is important that everything at the camp be accessible, and everything is done with accessibility in mind,” says Lindsay Garrett, past Program Manager. “Finding new ways to make things possible for our guests is the biggest part of what we do,” Lindsay added.
Camp programs and activities are organized with multiple staff for every activity. As an accredited member of the Ontario Camps Association, CNIB Lake Joe exceeds the ratio of staff to guests participating in any activity. This is especially the case during kids’ weeks.
All staff on-site receive rigorous training. Everyone learns about each activity/program, including the safety and risks associated with that activity.
Waterfront staff have their National Lifeguarding certifications. Because our water programs are so popular with our guests, this year, we will also have Lifeguarding Assistants act as additional support on the waterfront.
Emma Van Dyk was a guest at Lake Joe for three years before being hired as part of the seasonal staff in 2019. A third-year nursing student at Western University, Emma credits the camp with giving her the confidence to pursue her dreams.
“At CNIB Lake Joe, we have all these camp activities that kids sometimes don’t get the chance to do in their communities,” she says. “That’s why I think it’s so important that children with sight loss come to CNIB Lake Joe. I feel that at some other summer camps, they might question whether you can do archery or canoe on your own. Well, at Lake Joe, the answer is yes, you can.”
She calls CNIB Lake Joe a magical place. “It’s a place where I found my people…not ‘low vision people’ or ‘blind people,’ but people who are independent and motivated so that they can do anything,” says Emma.
As the Communications Lead, my role is to showcase how CNIB Lake Joe changes lives. And helps people realize they can do anything they set their mind to. Guests can scale the climbing tower, play beep baseball, five-a-side soccer, and basketball, and enjoy water skiing and other water sports like tubing, sailing, paddling and pontoon cruising.
I am acquiring many skills at the camp as well. As an avid listener of podcasts, my dream of creating a podcast is coming true. I’m learning how to operate podcasting equipment and become a part of the camp’s new “CNIB Lake Joe on the Go” podcast.” (See next article)
I am enjoying my time at CNIB Lake Joe and look forward to meeting campers all summer long.