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Expanding camp in N.S. includes program for kids in grief, with ample time for fun

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2 years ago

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HALIFAX — When Meaghan Belanger’s mother informed her about a Nova Scotia camp for children in grief, the teenager’s initial reaction was unenthusiastic as she feared it would be too teary and dull.

Instead, she found herself immersed in unabashed fun — ranging from a delicious dinner to meeting new friends — during her first day at Brigadoon Village in the summer of 2019.

“Five minutes after my Mom left I realized, ‘This is going to be great,’” the teen said in an interview Saturday. She was 14 when she attended the camp in Aylesford, N.S., and is now 17.

Her mother, Janette Belanger, said she initially struggled to find her children Meaghan, Sean and Sarah  help with bereavement after her husband, Gilles Belanger, died from a rare form of cancer in the fall of 2018.

A doctor told her about Brigadoon’s pioneering camp for children with chronic illnesses, created in 2011, noting it had steadily expanded into bereavement and mental wellness programs over the past decade.

Janette Belanger recalled her oldest daughter’s grief had “built a wall around her heart” that the camp experience “chipped away at” as she settled in among peers living through similar emotions and began opening up about her feelings.

“She came home a very different girl,” Janette Belanger said, recalling the contrast between the child she dropped off amid objections to attending in the first place and the daughter who greeted her with a hug a week later as she bid emotional goodbyes to new friends.

“A week of camp that was stress free and that was fun all day gave me an opportunity to grow, I’d say,” Meaghan Belanger said.

The expanding programming that the Belangers have taken advantage of is part of the camp’s more general growth, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Graham, Brigadoon’s chief executive, announced a $12.5-million expansion on Saturday that includes a new arts building, an outdoor nutrition facility and other additions that will permit up to 300 more campers to attend Brigadoon this summer. It was carried out in the thick of the pandemic while most of its programs were put on hold.

The non-profit camp — the largest of its kind in Canada — relies on fundraising for about two thirds of its $2.5-million operating budget, according to Graham. It’s gone from about 30 campers in its first summer in 2011 to a capacity for about 3,500 campers a year.

“Each week is dedicated to a different group of children with a different diagnosis. Our blind and visual impairment week is going to look considerably different than the week for children who just had heart surgery,” said Graham.

But Graham said the common thread is a long-held philosophy that breaking down isolation is a key way forward for many young people.

“When you arrive at Brigadoon and there are 60 or 70 children having that similar thread of experience, you see you’re not as alone as you thought you were in what you’re going through,” he said.

Graham said the mental health component has become a growing focus of the camp’s programming, in part because it’s now recognized that depression and anxiety are the largest secondary illnesses children will experience alongside their chronic health conditions.

“We’re becoming more aware of the tremendous mental health impacts going on within society today within children. Take the pandemic and add in a chronic illness or the loss of a loved one, and you have a pretty potent cocktail there,” he added.

Simone Sewell, a leadership co-ordinator and former counsellor in the grief program, said children often come to camp without having time at home to begin the grieving process.

“They’re practically mini-adults because of all the stress they’ve gone through … One of the magical things about camp is we give them the opportunity to just be kids,” she said.

She says the approach is to immerse the children in typical, camping activities — including art workshops, outdoor games and swimming — while including daily times to share their emotions with trained counsellors.

On the final day, jars created in art classes have a candle placed inside and are used to line a pathway to a cairn in the woods. The children walk that pathway together, and leave small stones in memory of their lost loved ones at the secret site.

Sewell said the simple ritual often creates a lasting bond among the campers.

“I think getting away from home is a big component of why it works so well,” she said.. “At Brigadoon the kids are in nature, they’re in a cabin with people who’ve had similar experiences to them.”

Meaghan Belanger says she wants to return to reconnect with friends, learn leadership skills and keep on having a good time.

“It’s a chance to be a kid. I don’t have to worry about anything,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2022.

 

Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press

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‘It’s literally incredible’: Swifties line up for merch ahead of Toronto concerts

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November 13, 2024

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TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.

Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.

Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.

Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.

Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.

“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”

The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.

Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.

“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.

Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.

The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.

Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.

But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.

Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.

“It’s literally incredible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Via Rail seeks judicial review on CN’s speed restrictions

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57 minutes ago

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November 13, 2024

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OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.

The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.

It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.

CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.

The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.

Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CN)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Japanese owner of 7-Eleven receives another offer to rival Couche-Tard bid

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58 minutes ago

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November 13, 2024

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LAVAL, Que. – The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven says it has received a new management buyout proposal from a member of the family that helped found the company, offering an alternative to the takeover bid from Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

The proposal for Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. is being made by Junro Ito, who is a vice-president and director of the company, and Ito-Kogyo Co. Ltd., a private company affiliated with him.

Terms of the non-binding offer by Ito were not disclosed.

In a statement Wednesday, Seven & i said its special committee has been reviewing the proposal with its financial advisers.

Stephen Hayes Dacus, chair of the special committee and board of directors of the company, said the company is committed to an objective review of all alternatives as it considers the proposals from Ito and Couche-Tard as well as the company’s stand-alone opportunities.

“The special committee and the company board will continue to engage with all parties in a manner designed to maximize value and will continue to act in the best interests of the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders,” he said in a statement.

The company noted that Ito has been excluded from all discussions within the company related to the offer and the bid by Couche-Tard.

Quebec-based Couche-Tard made a revised offer for Seven & i last month after an earlier proposal was rebuffed by the Japanese firm because it was too low and did not fully address U.S. regulatory concerns.

It did not respond to a request for comment about Ito’s offer.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Irene Nattel said the latest development underscored her belief that a Couche-Tard deal with Seven & i is a “low probability event.”

“Assuming attractive pricing and a fully-funded transaction, the potential privatization from a friendly Japanese group would seemingly provide investors with the value creation event they seek,” said Nattel, adding that it would skirt potential competition issues in the U.S. and concerns around the foreign takeover of a core local entity for Japanese regulators.

Couche-Tard has argued its proposal offers clear strategic and financial benefits and has said it believes the two companies can reach a mutually agreeable transaction.

However, the Japanese company has said there are multiple and significant challenges such a transaction would face from U.S. competition regulators.

Couche-Tard operates across 31 countries, with more than 16,800 stores. A successful deal with Seven & i could add 85,800 stores to its network.

Seven & i owns not only the 7-Eleven chain, but also supermarkets, food producers, household goods retailers and financial services companies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ATD)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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