So Camp Thunderbird is a Government run camp for adults with disabilities. It is located at Candle Lake.....come to think of it I have yet to have a summer employment job NOT at Candle Lake...lucky girl! Anyhow minus a few glitches the summer was an amazing learning experience. I absolutely love working with disabilities and found that I am actually a really patient person. In the end I hope to get my special ed designation, so that I can teach children with disabilities. Anyhow the first picture is of some of the hot staff I had the pleasure of working with. Then just a picture of the building itself, the beach that is 10 feet from the building, my favorite trout pond (apparently you are guarenteed to catch a fish there everytime, but I never even caught 1!) Candle Lake has to be one of my favorite places on this entire earth, because of the sunsets.
5 comments:
Hi there:
Love the pics, wish there were more. I remember the camp well but it has been so many years....way before Candle became civilized....
Did you know that Camp Thunderbird was established in the early '60s through the efforts of Greg Rice and anyone else he easily talked into helping, many of whom worked at that time at the Saskatchewan Training School in Prince Albert. (I think the Training School is torn down now). Greg thought that if he was entitled to a vacation then so should the residents of the Saskatchewan Training School. I think the original furnishings for the camp came from a hospital in Weyburn that was being torn down. In the early years, many staff and friends would come out on the weekends and help build and look after the camp doing things such as installing generators, clearing land, cutting the main trail in, building a boat storeage house, making paths,building the dock, building outhouses etc. Everyone thought it was luxurious to have toilet seats installed in the original outhouses! Greg's wife Pearl made that happen! Someone erected a shower out of a suspended oil barrrel. Soon, a bus full of campers would come out on Mondays and leave on Fridays. Staff often donated time or would work their shifts there and stay the week. Campers always loved the boat rides and fishing, evening campfire, singsong and sunsets. Every evening ended with a round of "Good Night Ladies."
The pelicans on the rocky island were named Henry and Henrietta. Good pickerel fishing there.
For many campers, this was the first break from the hospital like setting they lived in for years. This was just before the onset of foster adult care when so many were institutionalized for their entire lives. I am so happy to see that Camp Thunderbird is still carrying on much in the same tradition. I haven't seen the place since 1967. I'm sure Greg would be pleased to know its still going on, so many campers still enjoying the place and all the young energy there to see the campers have the time of their life.
Kindest regards and happy sunsets
Jan
-Greg and Pearl's daughter
My wife was camp nurse in '80/'81 (Kelly Erikson). I was counselor in '76, '77, '78 and I was director in '79 and '80 (Neil Pechey). Kelly and I met at camp in '80 and got married a few years after. Thunderbird was a great place to work. After 30 years, we walked down the road to see it last Sat. We were very impressed!
Hi again!
First of all, would you be the same Neil Pechey who lived behind us in P.A.??? We (the Rice Family) lived on 26th St. West and the Neil I knew lived across the back lane on 25th St.
Neil, you didn't say if there were any campers there this year. I hope so. I haven't been back to P.A. or Candle since we moved in 1967. I remember the anticipation as we drove through the gate and down the road to the camp. Swimsuits always at the ready.
My husband and I are planning to visit Candle Lake next summer in 2011. We are looking for a cabin to rent for a week or so nearby Camp Thunderbird. We hope to arrange to stop in and chat with the staff and catch up with what's going on at the camp. Camp Thunderbird is indeed a special place that I believe fondly affected many people over the years. Afterall, where else on earth could you match those sunsets and northern lights?
Jan
That is the very same Neil Pechey. His folks died a few years ago and there are no more Pecheys on 25th St now.
We were down the road once again this summer, but as we only make out on weekends, there were no campers. From our time frame at Camp Thunderbird, another building was set up across from the main - 'Wide Load'- as that was how it came to us - that is how it stayed. I think it is used as a craft room now, complete with porch and Bar-b area. The old craft room is converted into a supply room and there is another small addition on the side of the main building ? use? It is all very well kept, so it must still be in use.
The lake resort area itself is much more developed - I think you will have a hard time recognizing a lot of places. But should be easy to rent a cabin. Such a good idea to spend time there. Let us know how it goes!
It's Christopher Derhoudoff please & thank you I would love to sign up for camp this year
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