I've been waiting to post this picture because it comes from just about this time of the year. In 1992 we began a discussion at DHQ around the difficult design of the cabins. They had been retrofitted and it was not a good design for a children's camp. As well we had a desire to make the camp a year round facility and the cabins of the day would be unable to be winterized easily. The decision was made to create a new design and a meeting was held at the local Blue Water Inn with Architect Bruce Fair to see what could be done. Following a camp walk-about, we met with lunch and Bruce began to create some optional design ideas. A common room was needed, washrooms, a staff location, dorms that would hold no more than six children and a large covered porch for moving gatherings outdoors if desired. Of course we wanted to create a handicap access so we agreed there would be no steps coming to the cabin, rather a ramp up on side meeting the large covered porch.
In February of 1994 I met with a man who was interested in buying all the old cabins, and it was agreed upon that he would remove them from their locations. As they were sitting on blocks it was an easy process and within two days all the cabins were gone and the field sat empty. It was a strange sight.
It was a terrifying sight too, for I knew that the camping season was not far off, and we would need to be ready within 16 weeks to re-open.
2 comments:
You know, it's too bad we couldn't have kept a couple of the old original cabins. There was an awful lot of history written on those rafters!
I distinctly remember the open rooms, bunk beds, and swinging from the rafters! I think everyone who ever stayed in those cabins (before they were re-modelled into teeny-little rooms) has signed at least one rafter at least once. I seem to remember the counsellor's door of Cabin 3 (I think? It was one of the odd numbers) actually had the Freshie Camp counsellor list for 1980 written on it...
I loved the way the cabins were, how j9 described them. We used to have the best time in those big rooms with bunk beds and writings all over the walls... how many of us didn't write "I was here but now I'm gone, left my name to turn you on!" I remember wanting the top bunk right beside the inside/dividing wall, so that I could climb over and visit in both rooms, without getting caught!
All of these memories are really making me quite emotional today! I'm so glad there are so many people out there with the same sort of attachment to Camp Selkirk as I have! It was the best! I remember counting down the weeks, all year long, until the next summer would come and we could start all over again!
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