Ontario's Camp BUCKO offers comfort, helps heal kids' emotional wounds
For burn survivors, the scars are rarely skin deep.
And for more than two decades, Camp BUCKO has helped kids heal those painful wounds.
“People use the term ‘family’ loosely sometimes, but it really does feel that way at our camp,” says Patrick Howlett, president of Camp BUCKO (Burn Camp for Kids in Ontario), a free summer camp on the shores of Lake Wannamaker for burn survivors aged 7 through 17.
“In many cases, our campers are the only burn survivor in their school, or their small community,” adds Howlett. “At Camp BUCKO, everyone has similar scars and similar stories. For some kids, this is the only place where they’ll wear a bathing suit without being self-conscious about it. The kids are comforted by knowing they’re not alone—and that gives them strength.”
Established in 1995, Camp BUCKO operates a week-long summer camp for kids every year, with health providers, firefighters, adult burn survivors and support staff attending as counsellors. Camp BUCKO also:
- runs a weekend camp for families in the fall;
- will be introducing an annual winter camp later this year; and
- supports international exchanges and conferences that promote emotional healing.
Camp BUCKO is the charity of choice for many of Ontario’s 8,500 firefighters, says Richard Craibbe, the vice-president of the Ontario Association of Fire Training Officers (OAFTO).
“Camp BUCKO is such an important cause for our organization. We fundraise for this charity on an ongoing basis,” says Craibbe. “A few years back, our president Jim Allen attended the camp as a counsellor, and he said that after a day or so, it was kids having the opportunity to be kids—as they should.”
Safety is our No. 1 priority at Enbridge. It’s the very foundation of our business. And this week, as the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs holds its annual OAFC 2016 conference and trade show in Toronto, we’re supporting the incredible work being done at Camp BUCKO while also continuing to strengthen our relationship with first responders in the communities near our operations and projects, including the proposed Line 10 Westover Segment Replacement Project near Hamilton, ON.
This afternoon, Enbridge emergency response and operations personnel will present to OAFC and OAFTO members on pipeline safety for first responders, discussing:
- Our Public Awareness Program, which has a vital emergency responder component;
- Our regional Emergency Response Action Plans and Integrated Contingency Plans;
- How to identify pipeline incidents, as well as what to do and what not to do;
- The relationship between first responders and Enbridge personnel and contractors, in the unlikely event of a pipeline incident; and
- How we plan and execute an emergency response drill in the regions where we operate, and how first responders can get involved.
After Enbridge’s presentation, we’ll be presenting a community investment check to Camp BUCKO.
“The more delegates attending our session, the more we’ll be giving,” says Ken Hall, Enbridge’s Ontario-based senior advisor of public affairs. “This event will help us further entrench our relationships with emergency responder organizations, and give to a great cause at the same time.”
As part of this week’s OAFC conference and trade show, we’ll also be putting our emergency response and preparedness on display, with an exhibit of our ER equipment—including boats, boom reels, and more—outside the Toronto Congress Centre.
