They see beyond the surface of the child…

I highly recommend Crane Lake Discovery Camp to any parent. But at the beginning, when considering a camp for our son, my wife Tricia and I had some real apprehensions.

The reason for our trepidation was that our son has some unique social barriers that too many institutions (like school or church) all too often are unable to deal and/or cope with. Our son has a distinctive personality and character traits, to say the least. We thus felt powerless to give him the wonderful experience of camp that our two girls have had for the last numbers of years. Although the programs that these camps have that our girls were involved in have been a great fit for them thus far, it was limited for our son because it lacked the expertise in dealing with children that, on the surface, look to be too difficult a challenge for them to provide the correct fit and thus a meaningful camp experience for Justin.

Our prayers were answered when we discovered Crane Lake Discovery camp.

All the staff at Crane Lake Discovery Camp have this matchless ability to see beyond the surface of the child and facilitate the child’s awareness of their inherent worth. The program sets up the camp experience as a microcosm of the real world by teaching them how to get along when performing work projects and engaging in wilderness activities. My son was taught how to think beyond his own needs and desires and how to work through difficult challenges as a team player. Equally important was the tremendous joy he experienced, having an awesome time enjoying the wilderness adventures the camp leaders provides him and the rest of the boys. 

From my years of experience as a former Foreman for the “Junior Ranger Program” for the Ministry of Natural Resources—working with 30 youths from the ages of 17 to 18 in Northern Ontario—and from my 15 years working with young offenders and with the developmentally challenged, I highly recommend Crane Lake Discovery Camp for any parent who wants to give their child an experience of a lifetime.  

—Richard A. Burrough