Canadian Forces summer camp for teens cancelled for another year
Threat of spreading COVID-19 is still too great to host the annual camp for youth
A Geraldton, Ont. summer leadership camp for youth from remote and fly-in communities has been cancelled.
Camp Loon, run by the Canadian Army, usually takes in 200 junior rangers from across Canada and teaches them survival and leadership skills.
There are about 750 Junior Rangers in 24 First Nations across Ontario's Far North.
Lieutenant-Colonel Shane McArthur says the camp helps young people develop invaluable skills they can bring back to their communities.
"And be an absolute vital asset to the growth and the betterment of their communities, whatever endeavour they venture into in their lives," he said. "I would say it literally saves lives. I believe that in my heart."
McArthur says they are already planning for a full camp next year, in the hopes it will be possible by then.
Attending the northern Ontario camp is an opportunity for young people to get experiences they can't get anywhere else, McArthur notes.
"And if we couldn't do it with certainty and comfort and make sure that their parents, their loved ones, knew that they were sending theses kids without any concerns, or any concerns of them potentially bringing back COVID to their communities, then it wasn't the smart thing to do," he said.
Camp Loon is held in the bush on Springwater Lake, 50 km north of Geraldton. The first Camp Loon was held in 2000, at Constance Lake First Nation — and later at several other First Nations before being held for the last several years near Geraldton.