Feature Article November 27, 2002
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Feasting and Fiddling at Year End PartyLanark Children's Haven Celebrates
The Lanark Childrens Haven, a dream come true of Vera and the late Hal Shaw, is a 200 acre facility that is a combination childrens camp and ecological learning centre for the entire community.
The camp is located near Poland, a hamlet located about 15 minutes north of McDonalds Corners. It came into existence in 1996, and is described in its brochure as being devoted to providing a nurturing environment for special needs children and adults, whether these needs are physical, emotional, developmental or economic.
The facility is also available for conferences and retreats in the spring and fall, and on weekends in the summer.
This year saw a change in direction for the Lanark Childrens Haven when its board of directors decided to hire a four-person team to run it..
Jules Chamberlain, Sheila MacDonald, Gary Glover and Cindy McCall, all of McDonalds Corners have devoted themselves to the camp over the past year. They decided to celebrate their first year at the helm of the camp by throwing a season ending party last Saturday, inviting the board of directors as well as camp counsellors and community members to a scrumptious feast, and engaging the Celtic Heritage Fiddle Orchestra to entertain after the meal.
Gary Glover described this past summer at the camp as a tremendous privilege for himself and the other directors. Teaching special needs youngsters how to respect themselves, each other, and the world around them has been an honour for us, he told the crowd of people seated in the 1,000 square foot pine dining hall overlooking Shawmorr Lake.
During the summer, the camp can accommodate between 20 and 30 campers per week. A flat water canoeing course is available, as is a low rope initiatives course. Campers are sponsored by service groups from throughout the region, both within Lanark County and beyond. The directors are always looking for more sponsors as government support has been hard to come by.
We want to be available to anyone, who for whatever reason cannot otherwise have the experience of a summer camp, but we need support from the entire community in order to make that happen, said Jules Chamberlain.
One of the key features of the Lanark Childrens Haven is the R. Howard Webster Nature Centre, a 3,000 sq.ft. facility devoted to the study of ecology and the natural environment. The Nature Centre is heavily used by the camp
The camp employs quite a number of counsellors as well, mainly drawn from the local population, making it an economic as well as a social force.
After the celebration dinner last week, a slide presentation from a group of photographers called Seven Again took place, followed by a performance by the Celtic Heritage Fiddle Orchestra, directed by Carolyn Stewart, which had much of the audience dancing in the aisles. The orchestra features, along with a large fiddle section, celtic harp, penny whistle, guitar and bodhran on various selections.
As the evening ended, the camp was being closed up for the winter, but fundraising and planning for next year is already underway. The Lanark Childrens Haven is an example of community development that also serves to further economic development in a somewhat isolated rural area.
For information about booking the Lanark Childrens Haven for a conference or event, or about next years summer camp activities, call Sheila MacDonald at 259-3245 or 278-1818 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
