HAGI accessibility camp garners support from outside Thunder Bay area
MPP outside the region defends 'gem' of a camp at Queen's Park, wants to ensure it stays open
The anticipated closure of the Lake Shebandowan wilderness camp for people with disabilities in Ontario's Northwest has made its way into the provincial legislature after attracting attention from people outside the region.
The NDP MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, a riding east of Thunder Bay and encompassing Sault Ste. Marie, asked at Queen's Park this week if the province would step in to help save the Wilderness Discovery Resort, which is operated by the nonprofit HAGI Community Services.
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Even though the issue is outside his riding, Michael Mantha said he's been hearing from people all over Ontario about keeping the facility open.
"So that these families and these individuals that benefit from these centres have the ability to return and enjoy some of our northern Ontario nature and by having all the facilities prepared for accessibility issues, we need to maintain those," he said.
"It gives us the opportunity to showcase all the resources and the environment that we have in Northern Ontario to all these individuals and these families with disabilities, so, you know, this is a gem that we have," said Mantha.
HAGI offers new programs instead
In response, Liberal MPP Bill Mauro, who represents Thunder Bay-Atikokan, said it was HAGI's decision to close the facility this fall.
"It is not in any way a decision that's being forced upon them. They have decided, on their own, to take the resources that they have, that they fundraised. There's never been operational support for the facility from the government of Ontario," he said.
The nonprofit organization had been renting land to run its wilderness camp from the Ontario Realty Corp., the real estate service arm of the government. When its long-term lease ended in 2013, the organization began renting it month-to-month.
The issue arose when the Ontario government said it wants to sell the 6.8 acres of land at market value for over $860,000 — a price HAGI can't afford.
The organization said the facility costs about $200,000 a year to run, and they're putting those resources into new programs instead.