Sunshine Camp History
1936-1963
Early History of the Sunshine Camp from 1936-1957 and the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre from 1957-1963 The following information is from a collection of Annual Reports, meeting minutes and correspondence from Easter Seals NL. Information prior to 1958 is from the collection of meeting minutes and correspondence and all information from 1958 onwards is from the annual reports, unless otherwise stated.
A sincere thank you to Easter Seals of Newfoundland and Labrador for sharing their information on the history of the Sunshine Camp.
1936
May – The property of the late Lord Morris at Healy’s Pond was acquired by the
September- The cornerstone of the camp was laid by the Governor of Newfoundland Sir Humphry Walwyn.
1937
April 19 – The sunshine Camp Association Incorporated was formed by the Husky Boys Group of the
June 16 – Opening ceremonies of the Sunshine Camp were held, presided over by Lady Walwyn, wife of the Governor of Newfoundland. Management of the camp was officially passed over from the
June 17 – The first group of children, 30 boys, arrived at the sunshine Camp. “Underprivileged” children were chosen by the Department of Public Health and Welfare to attend the camp. Groups of 30 children, alternating groups of boys and girls, each spent two weeks at the camp. This patter of groups of 30 alternating boys and girls continued until 1954. Generally 150 and 180 children attended camp each summer.
1939
Rotary Groups began looking after transportation of children to and from the camp. Previously, private parties had volunteered their time and cars to transport the children, but this proved to be a rather unreliable system.
Dr. Leonard Miller mentioned to the Sunshine Camp Association that the Association had the nucleus of a camp and building that would be of considerable assistance to the Department of Health and Welfare, in looking after more seriously afflicted children than those who had been attending the camp during the past couple of years. Dr. Miller felt that a longer period of stay in the camp by this more seriously afflicted class of children would be beneficial and by making some alterations and addition to the camp it would be possible that 30 children could spend a period of two months or more at the camp, under close supervision, while the usual 30 of better conditioned children could still be looked after. The Association resolved that “after listening to the problem as outlined by Dr. Miller, the Sunshine Camp Association Council is favourably disposed to this proposition and places itself on record as favouring any scheme that will increase the usefulness and facilities of the camp to the underprivileged children of the community”.
1940
Nurse Bishop started the tradition of celebrating birthdays as a send off party for the groups of children at the camp.
Playground equipment, donated by the Lion Tamers Group of the
For the first time, the Department of Health and Welfare analyzed and provided a report on the reasons why children were recommended for admission to the camp. The three reasons were 1) children from homes in which there are or have been active cases of tuberculosis, including some children who have shown previous signs of the disease or have suspicious x-rays; 2) children who are grossly underweight (at least three years behind for their age in weight and height); 3) exceptionally bad home conditions, usually overcrowding, and the children in this category were usually not robust in health. This last category also included some children with deceased or ‘invalid’ parents.
1941
The annual Pound Day Party was held and attended by 250 plus guests. 350 lbs. of food were contributed to the camp. The Pound Days were an annual fundraising effort, in which various members of
‘Report of the Sunshine Camp for the Year 1941’ states, “A few years ago an effort was made to check up on these children about three or four months after they had left the Camp. Considerable work was thus entailed, the homes having to be visited once or twice as a rule before the children were brought for examination, and the results were disappointing. It was found that in very rare cases had the children maintained the progress made while at the Camp’ (The last line is scratched out in the report)
1942
The camp’s electrically-controlled water supply broke down and thus the camp was without water for 8-10 days
The camp was quarantined, due either to scarlet fever or diphtheria.
1943
Dr. Miller mentioned that if they would have the same difficulty in getting applicants for the camp in 1943 as in previous year, perhaps the Association should consider taking fewer children for a longer period of time (a month instead of two weeks). He felt that the children would get more benefit from a longer stay.
The family of the late Rotarian Albert Hickman (‘an enthusiastic member of the Husky boys Group and keenly interested in the Camp’) added a memorial wing to the Sunshine Camp building to be devoted to the care of “crippled” children. This new wing would accommodate 10 children ages 6-12 each summer from the
1944
Dr. Leonard Miller, Director of Medical Services, continued to advocate for a number of cases in which children would have benefited from a longer stay at the camp.
1945
Food coupons/rations and a milk strike made finding enough food for the camp challenging. However, the Association still managed to fulfill its objective of enabling underprivileged children to enjoy healthy recreation and good food in pleasant surroundings. In fact, in the “Hon. Secretary’s Report for the Ninth Annual general Meeting of the Sunshine Camp Association Inc. 28th March 1946” the benefits to the children of the 1945 camp season were explained as follows: “The fact that gains in weight for two weeks’ stay in the Camp in one lot of boys were as much as 9, 10, and 11 lbs. each speaks volumes. Over the season, the average gain in weight of the 95 girls was 4lbs. and of the 98 boys 4.1/2lbs.”
August 8, 1945 The Hickman Memorial Wing was officially opened on Pound Day. 11 ‘crippled’ children were admitted. In the “Hon Secretary’s Report for the Ninth Annual General Meeting of the Sunshine Camp Association Inc. 28th March 1946”the Pound Day and the opening of the new wing are described as follows: “Pound Day was held on August 8th. The weather was most disagreeable and we feared for its success. However, we believe that this was partly responsible for the success it was, as it evidently kept some of the people from going on their own picnics. The Hickman Memorial Wing was officially opened and presented to the Sunshine Camp by Mrs. Hickman and Family. Many distinguished visitors were present including H.E. the Governor and Lady Walwyn and Rotary District Governor Findlen. Donations in case, and goods to the value of $550 were received”.
1946
The age limit for children attending the camp was 6-12 years old.
The Sunshine Camp was threatened by forest fire during its first week. The camp was evacuated and as many materials as possible were removed with the help of the Truckmen’s
1950
August – Rotary International President Arthur Lageux visited the Sunshine Camp for a tour. This was the first time a Rotary President ever visited
1951
For the first time, convalescent children from city hospitals spent two weeks at the camp prior to the arrival of other children. However, only 3 convalescent children (from the
The camp was described in the “Sunshine Camp Report for Club Assembly June 1952” as being “located eight miles from
A 1951 report to the Rotary club described a typical day at the Sunshine Camp.
“A typical day at the Camp goes something like this: At 7:15 the staff are up and preparing breakfast and getting things into shape for the day. At 8:00 o’clock the children get up, although if the truth be known, they have probably been awake for sometime before that and where thirty children are in one large dormitory, you can well imagine that the staff have been aware of the fact that they have been awake for sometime. As soon as they are up, every child is given a tablespoonful of cod liver oil and an orange. This, of course has to be done rather on an assembly line basis and from the cod liver oil parade, they go right into the dining room, where, at about 8:30 they have breakfast. Breakfast, of course varies every day but is usually something like this: cereal, eggs, bread and butter and milk.
After breakfast, the children go down to the swimming pool with the games mistress or one of the nurses, complete with soap, towels, face cloths, and so on, and wash. This is found to be quicker and easier than using the wash basins in the bathrooms, but of course, on wet days, they do use the bathroom. After that they go to the playgrounds where they play games until about 11 o’clock. After that, in warm weather, they go back to the pool for a swim or they go for a walk through the woods. Lunch is at 12 o’clock and by that time the children have usually worked p a pretty health appetite. Again the meals vary each day, but usually they will get: some type of meat, say roast beef and gravy, garden greens, potatoes, milk pudding, and again more mild.
After lunch, the children all rest in the dormitory until half past two, after that it may be games or a swim or a hike through the woods or perhaps a picnic. If it’s raining the children play indoors in the large playroom, some play basketball, some play snakes and ladders, Chinese checkers or bingo. The combination of all these by thirty children, even macaroni and tomato, stewed or tinned fruit, bread and butter, milk or cocoa.
After supper, they go for a walk and on the way back from their walk, they collect blasty bought which they take back to the playroom. In the playroom there is a fine open fireplace and they have a camp fire with singing and games. After this, on fine days, they go down to the pool again armed with tooth brushes, tooth paste and so on. You’d be surprised how much tooth paste thirty small children can consume. Of course, they take their tooth brushes home with them when they go as well as the pairs of sneakers with which they have been fitted when they arrive. Incidentally, we have a professional shoe fitter come out to the Camp on the first day and he brings a large van full of different size shoes, so that each child gets a pair that really fits
After they have washed, they go back to the Camp and have milk and biscuits and 9 o’clock they have prayers and bed. Lights out is at 9:30”
A 1951 report to the Rotary Club gave an example of a child who had been to the camp several years in a row and showed good results. “We have one little girl who came to us
Three years ago. When she arrived at the Camp, she would speak to no one. All efforts to make friends with her were fruitless. She would go rigid if spoken to and hang head. However, after seven or eight weeks, we found her one day talking to on of the little boys there, Johnny Evoy, better know as Johnny Sunshine. The following years she was a little better with the staff and last year she would sing and put on a dancing act with Johnny. Her case alone has given us a tremendous lift”
July 28 – President of Sunshine Camp Association mentions to F.M. O’Leary, President of Rotary Club that there was “the perennial question as to whether or not there is something which the Association can do for the children during the winter months.”
August 20 – Children from the Church of England Orphanage were guests of the Camp.
September 3 – United Church Orphanage children were guests of the Camp.
“Sunshine Camp Report for Club Assembly September 1951” stated, “that the Camp vacations generally are proving beneficial to the children is reflected in their recorded weight gains in each fortnight, these averaging over 5 lbs., for boys and 3 ½ for girls. Occasional boys show phenomenal increases, however, the prize baby being a lad who piled on 12 pounds in 14 days a few years ago”.
1952
Stemming from a feeling that some of the children attending the camp in previous years were not truly underprivileged, the local clergy and school principals were approached for help in recommending children to attend the camp. This was done in an attempt to get a better cross section of the available children. “There has been an increasing feeling on the Association’s Council that little girls who arrive at Camp with $2.00 pocket money and a permanent wave, and whose parents visit the Camp in taxis on every conceivable occasion, are not really underprivileged children”
An outbreak of scarlet fever at the camp affected 23 of the 30 children. The camp was quarantined, closed (the children sent home), and fumigated so that the next group of children could attend.
A letter of May 19 from President Freeman of Sunshine Camp Association to Mr. S.G. McCurdy, Principal of Prince of Wales College thanks students of the Prince of Wales College for a cheque for the Sunshine Camp Association’s Crippled Children’s Endowment Fund for a bed. It states, “I feel that your students would probably be interested in knowing some of the details of the Crippled Children’s Wing at the Sunshine Camp. Normally there are ten beds in this Wing but last year we managed to squeeze in as many as fourteen. These children ranged in age from six years to twelve years old and most of them came to use after many months in the
Many of them had to return to the Hospital after the Camp, as their treatment will not be complete for many months more, but their stay at the Camp did help them tremendously.
Some of the children that came from homes where conditions of poverty, over crowing and a difficult home life existed, gained weight tremendously during their stay, one child in the Camp gaining sixteen pounds in the two and half months that she was with us. A typical report on a child at the Hickman Wing is one of a child who came in with a tubercular joint, who was mentally ‘retarded’, undernourished and dirty. The Matron’s report reads that the child was very quiet and would not talk or eat properly for days after she arrived. She was sulk and disobedient and generally troublesome. During the season she improved steadily, brightened up as the weeks went by and when she left would talk and play with the other children, was obedient and happy and did not want to leave the Camp. This sort of report could be multiplied many times.”
September 29 – Dr. Miller suggested that the camp should cater to just one group of children for the whole summer instead of rotating group every 2 weeks. [He had been advocating for longer stays since 1939. This may have come from seeing children quickly lose any progress in health that they had made while at camp. In the annual reports, the success of the camp was often measured in the amount of weight the children gained while there, with the record holder being one boy who gained 13 lbs during his 14 days at camp.] However, the Sunshine Camp Association thought this would be unpopular with the public, since then only 30 children would get the benefit of a camp experience. The suggest of turning the whole camp into one for “crippled” children was brought forward in response to Dr. Miller’s suggestion, as well as a possible way of accessing a Federal Health Grand for “crippled” children’s associations throughout Canada. The grant would be available for training nurses, payment of their salaries and any equipment, such as exercise machines, specifically required for a new project for “crippled” children. Consideration was given to converting the current dormitory for 30 children into one for 20 crippled children.
November – Meetings with Dr. Miller indicated that converting the camp into a camp entirely for “crippled” children was not practical, because the camp would have to provide full-scale hospital facilities, otherwise there would be no point in transferring the children from the well set-up
1953
A serious polio epidemic affected over 300 children in
1954
Notes for the ‘President’s Report Sunshine Camp Council Association 1953’ stated,
“After continual discussions at most Council Meetings during the year it was moved on January 20, 1954 that the Council was ready and willing to explore the operation of the Camp exclusively for Polio victims and “crippled” children under the distinct understanding that the identity of the Sunshine Camp be retained”…. Later in the report, “Council rejected proposal by Rotary in view of the cost of renovation for this year-round operation.”
February 1 – A committee from the Sunshine Camp Association Council met with officials at the Department of Health to determine what changes to the existing camp and operations would be required to convert the camp into a camp exclusively for Polio victims and “crippled” children, what the estimated financial costs of operation were, and what funds from Provincial and Federal sources were available. The estimated cost of construction and renovation was between $55,000 and $64,000.
March 16 – “The Directors of the Sunshine Camp Association Council, Inc., at their Annual Meeting yesterday, passed a resolution that the Camp be sued for the care of crippled children beginning this year.” [I wonder if perhaps this sudden change in opinion had anything to do with the fact that the Camp was first opened for six months a year, thus decreasing the cost of staffing, and eliminating the need to “winterize” the camp.] The Sunshine Camp Association subsequently turned the camp facilities into a rehabilitation centre for polio victims. It was initially open for six months a year. Initial services were for victims of polio, but it became evident that children with other “crippling” disorders needed services as well and it was reorganized to provide an overall rehabilitation program for “handicapped” children of Newfoundland (up to age 16)
1955
Because of a need for ongoing and improved rehabiliti9ation services, it was decided to winterize the camp and keep it open year round. At some point between March 1955 and March 1956 the centre stared operating on a year-round basis.
1957
55 children were admitted to the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre with Polipmyelitis, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Legge Perthes Disease, leg shortening due to old Tbc. hip or possibly from an old fracture, Club Feet, leg or arm amputations, and old Tbc. Meningitis with Hemiplegia and Erb’s Palsy. Patients were often transferred to the centre for rehabilitation after surgery at the
The centre was called the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre by this date, if not earlier.
Dental care for all patients was by now an established practice. Clinics were held once a week with doctors assessing and rechecking the children. Arrangements were made for children to see specialists as recommended by the clinic doctors. The ‘inpatient routine’ ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and included physiotherapy, schooling, activities of daily living, and occupation and recreational therapy. There was a bed capacity of 32 nurses “lived out” (i.e. lived away from the camp).
Activities for children at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre included a weekly movie provided by the Rotary Service Club (Stoker’s Group), summer partiies and a Halloween party provided by the Gamma Chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and Operation Santa Claus from Pepperrell Air Force Base. Older boys participated in boy Scouts (St. Mary’s Troup) and children were taken to the city on Sundays for church.
By this date, if not earlier, the Sunshine Camp Association had acquired the March of Dimes and Easter Seals fundraising brands. These brands would not have been used prior to 1954.
The physiotherapist of the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre traveled to central and western
1958
Sunshine
The Sunshine Camp Association had 1000 case reports on file of “crippled persons” but not all of
The addition of a second physiotherapist on staff allowed an out-patient program to be started, with children from the
By the 1958 annual general meeting of the Sunshine Camp Association, the Association had entered the field of adult rehabilitation and also expanded services to Central and
January 6 – the March of Dimes campaign was launched by Lieutenant Governor the Honourable Campbell Macpherson, through radio and press throughout the province. Campaign events included school collections (through mailing dime cards to principals of all schools throughout the province for distribution), business and special names lists, Ice Aces show (an annual event sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, held at Memorial Stadium on January 10th., 1958), out-of-town sponsors, and the Mother’s March.
February 21 – “Whipper” Billy Watson visited
February 28 – A sleet storm resulted in outages of all domestic services at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre for approximately one week. ON March 1, with the help of the
July – A Rehabilitation Committee was formed, which was responsible for operation of the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre, filed and survey work, and other phases of the Rehabilitation Program.
July – Staff members of the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre traveled to the west coast to set up a Mobile Physiotherapy Plan.
November – A Women’s Auxiliary of the Sunshine Camp Association was formed of the wives of doctors and wives of the Stoker’s Group of the
November – The Sunshine Camp Association Council recommended that the Association organize a Salk Vaccine Program against polio for adults ages 17-40 throughout the province.
1959
The length of the children’s stays at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre began to decrease due to more intensive care. Following the admission and evaluation of a patient to the Centre, a detailed treatment program was drawn up involving physiotherapy, occupational therapy, activities of daily living, evaluation and training. The program was revised and updated during staff re-evaluation conferences. The children also attended school at the Centre while receiving treatment.
A Brace and Prosthetic clinic was held at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre to evaluate problem cases of braces or prosthetic fitting.
There was a speech therapist at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre two afternoons a week, but by the end of the year it was decided that this service was not worthwhile because too short a period of time was spent with the children requiring speech therapy.
The Sunshine Camp Association recognized that the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre building was inadequate and hope to have a new building close to the city’s hospitals. The Building Committee met with the Medical Advisory Committee to decide what facilities were required. (There was a waiting list of out-patient children who would benefit from being in-patients waiting for beds to be available. As well, the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre has six beds in the Orthopaedic Division of the
“Whipper” Billy Watson again visited
January – A clinic for the first inoculations of Salk Vaccine was set up in
February – The Rehabilitation Committee met to discuss what role the Sunshine Camp Association could play with regard to adult rehabilitation. Since money collected under Ability Fund (March of Dimes) campaigns was gathered with the understanding that it would be used for adults too, the Sunshine Camp Association needed to decide if they were prepared to undertake an adult rehabilitation. Due to the backlog of children requiring its services, the Association decided that it could not take on the task of an adult rehabilitation program. However, the Rehabilitation Committee felt that some sort of financial help should be allocated for adult rehabilitation, especially for adults disabled by Polio, who might require financial assistance to establish small business such as shoe repairing, barbering, watch repair, etc. The Committee recommended that the Sunshine Camp Association should play an active role in vocational training and job placement of adults. An assessment team was appointed to asses any adult cases that came up. Council approved these recommendations.
1960
The name of the Sunshine Camp Association was change to the Newfoundland Society for the Care of Crippled Children and Adults) operating the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre). This was done with a change of constitution to expand the facilities and services of the Association and to develop greater support and interest throughout the province. The objectives of the Society were:
- To accomplish the eradication of conditions which cause “crippling” or any ‘physical disability’.
- While working consistently for prevention, to sue every available means to provide treatment and service for persons already “crippled” or physically disabled.
- To gather, study, and interpret information concerning the “crippled’ and physically disabled, the causes of “crippling” and physical disability, present and possible methods of discovery, treatment, education, rehabilitation and prevention.
- To secure the co-operation of all agencies, clubs, organizations and institutions, public and private, with an interest in phase of the work of the association, for the purpose of making such work comprehensive, complete and effective.
According to Wayne Spracklin, the Sunshine Camp Association first changed its name to the Newfoundland Society for the Care of Crippled Children, and soon after changed again to the Newfoundland Society for the Care of Crippled Children and Adults. He is not sure exactly when this was. However, in the 1959 annual report, it is already called the Newfoundland Society for the Care of Crippled Children and Adults, so the intermediate name did not last long.
Main events of the Newfoundland Easter Seal campaign included an interview with “Whipper” Bill Watson (his third publicity tour) and
Miss Lamber arrived to organize an occupational therapy department, which would concentrate on testing and retraining the upper extremities.
A team of six, led by Miss Yarn, a MUN student in physical education, commenced an intensive play program. This recreation program only ran for part of the year [presumably the summer] but it was such a success that the idea of a year-round recreation program was raised.
The need for a speech and audiology section was realized and considered absolutely necessary. The lack of an adequate outpatient program was considered “ a rather grave deficiency”. Very few patients from
January – The first social worker, Miss Freda Berry, started working at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre.
1961
Traveling clinics were conducted in Carbonear,
A new Occupational Therapy department was created, focusing on assessment and training through the medium of selected activities.
The NSCCA decided not to continue with Salk vaccine because a new one was coming available.
The C.A. Pippy Award for the “Handicapped Many of the Year (this later became the Mr. C.A. Pippy Memorial Award for the Handicapped Man of the Year), and the Mrs. C.A. Pippy Award for the Handicapped Woman of the Year were started. These were presented each year by members of the Pippy family. The Newfoundland Rehabilitation Council took care of presenting the awards until 1977 when the Council was dissolved and the NSCCA took over the awards.
June - A Speech Department was instituted with part time therapist Miss Sandeman. She returned to
September – At a meeting of the medical staff it was decided to institute a new service of neurology, which had formerly been incorporated into the service of psychiatry-neurology.
1961-1962 - The first Cub Pack for “crippled” children in
1962
For the first year there was a Timmy for the Grand Falls area as well as
Bernie Faloney of the Hamilton Ti-Cats visited the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre during his tour across
A polio vaccination program with Sabin was started on children of
A polio clinic was also held three days per month at the
The NSCCA employed approximately 16 “handicapped” adults for three weeks as part of the Sabin Vaccine program. This is the first record of employing adults to provide employment training and opportunities. However, it mentions that “we have also maintained limited services to handicapped adults, in the form of temporary employment, bookkeeping, and typing courses,” so presumably the practice of hiring “handicapped” adults had started prior to 1962.
1962-1963 – Girl Guides and Brownies were organized for the girls at the Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre by the
1963
A 15 minute television program was produced of children from the Sunshine Camp Rehabilitation Centre singing and reciting as publicity for the Easter Seals campaign.
The provincial Timmy was Billy Murphy of
The Sunshine Camp Children’s Rehabilitation Centre operated in a wooden frame building of some 6000 sq. feet in area which was set up to accommodate 31 beds. “According to present standards the space required to operate a 31 bed unit is at least 18,999 sq. ft.” Tentative plans were drawn up for an expanded children’s rehabilitation centre in
The Centre had two apprentices training at the Brace Shop at the
The NSCCA provided an electric typewriter to a 17 year old girl with two flail arms after Polio as she had sufficient use in one hand with the elbow supported to drop her fingers on the keys of an electric typewriter which only required a light touch. She was able to finish her Grade IX work at home. “She will be able to complete far more education than could have been expected from someone who could not put anything down on paper in the normal way.”
July to August – Through Dr.