On the morning of Thursday, August 11, everyone gathered on the patio for a group photo. This photo was taken by Lorraine Ashdown from Bowen Island.
Pictured in the photo are Alex, Byron, Clement, Danielle, Donna, Jessica, Jocelyn, Matthew, Monica (with guide dog Ash), Nelson, Owen, Peg, Roi, Salvatore, and Vera.
camp bowen talent show 2010: Clement and Chenyl singing Whiskey Lullabye
camp bowen talent show 2010: Clement singing Tequila makes her clothes fall off
more improv games
Source: Vancouver Sun
BY DENISE RYAN
STUART DAVIS/ VANCOUVER SUN
Surrey residents Alex Jurgensen, 16 ( left), and Matthew Alvernaz, 13. The two friends met at Bowen Island Lodge summer camp three years ago, but the CNIB-run camp is closing.
For Matthew Alvernaz, the world is about to become a little smaller. The 13-year-old, blind since birth, has just learned that the CNIB’s summer camp programs for kids at Bowen Island Lodge will be shut down due to funding shortfalls.
“It’s hard to explain how I really feel — it’s bad,” said Matthew.
His mother Tracy Alvernaz said that since Matthew was a toddler, the summers on Bowen have meant everything to her son and other blind kids.
” Imagine how difficult it is to fit in as a teenager with a vision problem. Bowen Island brought the normalcy of being a teenager to these kids. They didn’t have to try and fit in, they could just be themselves.”
The Bowen Island Lodge summer camp for the visually impaired offered programs for families, children, and youth that included opportunities for outdoor adventures, arts, peer support and transition to independent living.
Families were shocked to receive a letter last Friday from the CNIB, an advocacy and support organization for the visually impaired, announcing the closure.
Alvernaz said her son has gained independence, confidence, life and social skills through the camp, and the most precious gift of all: friends.
” I was livid when I heard. I was angry,” said Matthew’s friend, Clement Chou, 16, who lost his vision at the age of three due to a genetic condition.
Every summer the Bowen Island camp gives him a break from the stresses of fitting in with ” sighted” kids.
” In high school there is a whole group mentality — and no group is willing to take in a blind kid. The best part about Bowen is being included in a group, being able to express your thoughts, and just be yourself.”
” In high school there is a whole group mentality — and no group is willing to take in a blind kid. The best part about Bowen is being included in a group, being able to express your thoughts, and just be yourself.”
Rob Sleath, CNIB board chair, said the decision was made ” because of unprecedented financial challenges.”
CNIB is slashing in many areas, including library services, research commitments and staff salaries, said Sleath.
The CNIB gets just 10 per cent of its funding from government. The remainder comes from donations and investment income.
” We’re facing a reduction in donations as a result of global economic turndown… Everything took a hit.”
Sleath said the only hope for the camp would be if a private donor stepped forward.
Bowen Island.
The favourite thing I sa at the Irlybird was a big hollow round tube with sides on it and it was a long echo and i learned was a specific tank. Do you know what my second favourite thing is a fork lift I’m going to tell you about it! It was a huge fork lift truck and it could carry lots of lumber and it could dump it on to a truck. i went in to a truck at the Irlybird which by the way you should know is a huge lumber place! A big lumber yard is a huge place that carries lumber, wood, pipes and cement and there is paint hammers oil drain pipes wheel barrows and stuff like that. i got to go in a few trucks and see almost anything that has to do with wheels to lumber and all sorts of stuff you’d expect would be at Homedeapo and Cassco! I got to go home to camp in a big truck at the lumber yard place I hope you have a good time about the day you come to the big lumber place! I got to feel a fork lift and i got to drive it! I got to feel all the stacks of lumber and that and i got to feel the ties that go on the railroad tracks!
1. I carry lumber on two prongs I go up and down i have 4 wheels I do not have a radio and I don’t have any doors what am I?
You can find me at the Irlbird or any other lumber yard!
2. i am about a kind of wall, a stack of blank what am i?
I saw a trailor with 8 wheels in the back and no wheels in the front Find out about it! only joking there wer lots of stuff to do there and there were lots and lots of trucks always going in or comming out of the place. I hope you go there again and I hope you see me here again at the Irlybird.
At irlybird I got to go in to a truck. irlybird is a place where you get lumber and other stuff too. I went in the truck and started it and i also pushed the gas pedal. The man who owned the truck was Dean. We got to see the wheel barrows, one was the little one and one was the big wheel barrow. We got to push the two wheel barrows. The little wheel barrow was too hard to push and the big one was OK. I got to sit on the forklift and the guy who drove it was Dean. We saw a trailor you can stand on. The trailor is very very big. Another truck came in and clement, me, Annie, Michael and josh went to the truck to see it. The guy who drove the truck was Edward. he had a deisel truck. We saw shingles that you can put on yor roof. My finger almost got a sliver from the pointy shingles. We had a lot of fun. We got to have pop. Me and Josh had cream soda and Clement to have coke. We got to have an interview with the manager. We got to take pictures with three other people and Dave. John said that visually impaired coud not work because it’s dangerous. We got to go on the truck with Dean and he drove us back to the lounge except for michael and Annie. They gave us hats and fifty two balloons. We saw a hammer but it was too greasy. when we came in the car we saw a barbecue maker. We saw many trucks comming in and comming out of the arking lot. We saw pipes which you can by for a toilet.