Ostomy Canada Youth Camp

Camp Horizon, Bragg Creek Alberta (southwest of Calgary).

For more information about the camp see www.easterseals.ab.ca

Children between the ages 9 – 18 who have had or who will have bowel or bladder diversionary surgery (such as an ostomy) or who have related special needs (i.e. self catheterization, bowel and bladder incontinence), due to birth defects, trauma or disease (e.g. Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Cancer, Spina Bifida).

Dates vary year-to-year, based on coordination with Easter Seals Camp Horizon.

Dates for 2020 are: Sunday, July 5 to Friday, July 10

The camper application deadline is May 1, 2020

The volunteer application deadline is May 1, 2020

Registration fees change yearly. For 2020, the cost has remained at $650.00. It is anticipated that this cost will remain the same for two years. Room and board is included in the fee, but transportation to and from camp is not.

Contact Ostomy Canada for information about current registration fees and for information about financial assistance.

No child is ever denied the opportunity to attend camp because of financial need. Your local ostomy chapter can also sponsor a child to attend camp.

• Formal/informal education sessions
• Swimming
• Rafting
• Camp out
• Arts and crafts
• Outdoor recreation
• Dance
• Rap sessions

To provide an opportunity for young people aged 9-18 with consideration to emotional growth and maturity, who have ostomies or other special related needs (intermittent catheterization; urinary or bowel incontinence; internal pouch; Crohn’s disease, cecostomy tube or Ulcerative Colitis), to attend camp and participate in camp activities under professional supervision

Provide formal/informal education on – anatomy and physiology – self-esteem and coping – sexuality

Encourage independence and self-confidence with personal care and camp activities

Provide individual mentorship on stoma care and ostomy related needs (physical and or psychosocial).

Dear Camper and their Parent,

We are busy planning for another exciting camp – dates are July 5 – 10, 2020

It is a Sunday – Friday camp week.

If you are interested in attending camp this year, please contact the national office at 1-888-969-9698 or email info1@ostomycanada.ca to reserve a spot and obtain application forms. Also, contact your local ostomy chapter if you need sponsorship or contact the Camp Administrator for other options. Sponsorship criteria guidelines can be obtained from the national office. Sponsorship is not a given and there are fundraising requirements for all campers.

BEFORE making any travel arrangements, please contact the Camp Administrator.

Campers are not allowed on site before 3:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. Therefore, we have set the arrival times for flights into Calgary between the hours of 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. We are not able to accommodate any arrivals earlier than 9:00 am or after 2:00 pm. We know that cost is a big factor in booking flights for your campers, but we are not in a position to accept any campers before or after the allotted time. Please understand that Ostomy Canada Society is a volunteer-run. We have no ability to ask our volunteers to volunteer early or stay late. Once the bus leaves for camp, your camper needs to be on it. When all campers, who are flying in, have arrived, transportation to camp has been arranged.

Those who are driving in from the local area or from another province can meet the group at Camp Horizon at 3:00 pm on Sunday (no earlier as we will not be able to gain access to the site). We would appreciate all drive-ins to arrive promptly at 3:00 pm so that they can get checked in prior to the influx of the campers being bussed in.

The camp is officially over at 1:00 pm on Friday. Friday will mostly be spent packing, saying goodbyes and getting ready for the return home.

Anyone booking a flight for their campers should book their return flights between 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm Friday. If the departure is scheduled before 3:00 pm, please contact the Camp Administrator so that arrangements can be made. * Please try not to leave early as campers then miss valuable camp time.

Any campers who live in the greater Calgary area or surrounding provinces need to be picked up no later than 12:30 pm. We must all be off-site by 1:00 pm.

Camp application forms will be available by February 15^th. We will be using the Easter Seals registration system going forward. Registration is open on March 4th. You do not need to wait until that date to request a spot through the national office as mentioned above. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2020. Late applicants will be waitlisted with no guarantee of attendance.

Payment due May 1, 2020. Please notify Camp Administrator if unable to meet the deadline date. Full camp registration fee of $650 MUST ACCOMPANY application forms.

Make cheque payable to Ostomy Canada Society –

Re: Youth Camp

Credit cards are accepted –send information in with your application or call into the National Office to process

E-Transfer is accepted

Online payment is available at https://www.ostomycanada.ca/camp/  ONLINE Registration

Deadline for camper applications is May 1, 2020 –  Parents / Campers MUST fill out and email or mail back our forms as per usual as well as self-register their camper on the Easter Seals site. Instructions have been included in a separate email.

Please fill out and sign ALL application pages – they are important to be fully and properly filled out.

We look forward to seeing you at camp!

If you have any questions or concerns about the above information, please contact the Camp Administrator at lisagaus@shaw.ca

Sincerely, Lisa Gausman, Administrator Ostomy Canada Youth Camp

Click here to download the file.

Lisa has been a volunteer mentor at Ostomy Canada Youth Camp since 2007 after learning about its existence. Since 2016, she had acted as Pat’s right-hand partner as Co-Administrator, assuming the role of Camp Administrator mid-2019 when Pat resigned from the position.

Lisa became involved in Ostomy Canada Society because of her passion to help youth accept their ostomy. She has had an ostomy since 1989 due to Crohn’s disease. Lisa had a temporary ileostomy as a young adult, then, as her disease progressed she had to have a permanent colostomy for a number of years. A severe bowel perforation, multiple abdominal fistulas and a yearlong hospitalization for sepsis made it necessary for Lisa to have all but three feet of her G.I tract removed, leaving her with SBS and a jejeunostomy.

As a young adult, Lisa had a difficult time accepting life with an ostomy and became involved in Youth Camp in an effort to help others along their journey to acceptance.

She taught and tutored in the early ’90s. When it became necessary to leave her chosen career due to poor health, Lisa graduated with a BA in Humanities and Psychology.

Lisa is also the Senior Editor of Ostomy Canada magazine. Since 2008 Lisa has enjoyed all of her contributions to Ostomy Canada Society.

Lisa’s most important job is being the mother of her 18-year-old son, Wesley.