SHELBURNE, N.S. – A donation of just under $10,000 last summer from the 100 + Women Who Care of Shelburne County to Camp Jordan has proven to be the launching pad for major developments and improvements at the Shelburne County children’s summer camp.
“There’s lots going on,” said Camp Jordan trustee Dan Peacock. “We’re working on making all the buildings wheelchair accessible. Both cabins and the main lodge should be done by the time camp starts. We’re not really calling ourselves wheelchair accessible yet. We’re most of the way there, but not there yet because we haven’t done the bathrooms. We’re building a brand-new wheelchair accessible bathroom off the main dining hall but that won’t happen until fall.”
Camp Jordan also took delivery of a new activity building on July 4. It’s a dome style building with 10-foot straight walls and a dome ceiling. The steel structure is covered with a tarp.
“This all started last summer when we got a grant from 100 Women Who Care for just under $10,000,” said Peacock.
“We used that money to apply for a federal government grant and got another $14,000 to add to that,” he said, which is enabling the transition to a wheelchair accessible camp.
As for the activity building, Peacock said, “back about 20 years ago there was a fella, Bob Dawe, who raised money for an activity building and that sat in an account for years. Four or five years ago we decided to proceed with phase one” by pouring a 42’ by 60’ concrete slab for the future activity building.
“We applied for another grant to the Atlantic Baptist Foundation and that came through about two months ago and it was enough to cover the cost of the building going on it,” said Peacock.
The activity building will give campers an alternative inside space where they can play sports inside and have groups activities. “The possibilities are endless,” said Peacock.
The only inside communal space previously was the dining hall.
Peacock, who has been involved with Camp Jordan for the past four or five years, said when he started the camp was looking run down and really needed fixed up.
“When I come into the camp now, it’s starting to really reach its potential,” he said. “It’s a beautiful property.”
Camp Jordan starts July 21 with five, week-long camps on the summer schedule. Most of the camps are filled.
“There are a few openings but its filling up very quick,” said Peacock. “We do lots of outdoor type activities every week. We have a theme every week. Our most popular is the great outdoors where we focus on camping and stuff.”
This year Camp Jordan has partnered with Long Lake Camp in Greenwood to provide staff training, and to increase the number of weeks of work for employees and share costs. Staff began training in early July at Long Lake Camp, where they will work for two weeks.
“Then the entire staff is moving to Camp Jordan to continue on the summer,” said Peacock, adding this will give camp staff eight weeks of work. The cost for the camp director to get everything ready for the season is split between the two camps.
To celebrate the start of the season and Camp Jordan’s long history in Shelburne County, the first annual alumni supper is being held on July 21, starting at 4 p.m.
“We’re hoping for a big crowd,” said Peacock. “Camp Jordan has a long history in Shelburne County. We would like to get people to come back and see what we’ve done in the last few years and experience Camp Jordan again really and hear some of the stories from days gone by.”
