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From the first few years of existence of the Quebec Society for Disabled Children, its administrators wanted to establish a vacation camp for children with disabilities but, due to a lack of funds, this project had to wait. The dream finally came true on July 5, 1938, as the “Camp for Crippled Children” opened its doors to some 150 disabled youngsters. That year, the Camp only had one building and the campers were lodged in large tents offered by the Canadian army.
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The vocation of the Camp came completely within the Society’s objectives. Not only did the children benefit from the fresh air, the sun and numerous outdoor activities, but they had a resident doctor and nurses to provide health care.
The children who attended the camp had various disabilities: club foot, congenital malformations, amputation and, of course, polio. Children with cerebral palsy did not attend camp until several years later as they required additional personnel and more extensive infrastructures which the camp would acquire with time. These new infrastructures would eventually allow the camp to welcome a greater number of youngsters living with severe disabilities.
As the years went by, new buildings were constructed. Among the first buildings were a medical clinic, an orthopaedic clinic, a chapel, a sports pavilion, a library and a common room. In 1950, there were already 45 buildings, 18 of which were designed to lodge the campers. In 1953, this number increased to 56 and now reaches a total of some 90 buildings.
All the construction projects at camp were accomplished thanks to donations from service clubs, private foundations or large companies. Thus, the Canadiens, the pavilion used to lodge the children, was offered by the Montreal Canadiens Players’ Association. The Bronfman was funded by the famous family, the Kiwanis by the club of the same name, etc.
Furthermore, we can count on the valuable support of generous donors concerned with the quality of the campers’ stays in a high quality environment. Indeed, thanks to the annual contributions of the Jean Béliveau Foundation and Novopharm, among others, we are able to offer the very best to our campers and their family.
Today, even if the orientation of Camp Papillon has somewhat changed from a therapeutic camp to a vacation site for the children and respite for the parents, it still represents, for the campers, a privileged place where their well-being and happiness are priorities. Campers still benefit from the services of a medical team comprised, among others, of nurses and a physiotherapist, and it offers all sorts of sports, cultural and outdoor activities such as can be found in any other vacation camp.
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