For over 30 years, Bonnie Porteous has joined dozens of Girl Guides here at Carruthers Point Camp in Kingston. It’s a camp that was purchased by Girl Guides back in 1927 and there are still reminders of its history on the land.
“We have the original cottage which was built in 1893 by John Carruthers by the Carruthers family and they lived there, that was their summer home,” says Porteous.
Across the province, Girl Guide camps are being sold off because, the Ontario Commissioner for Girl Guides says, the operating and capital costs are just not sustainable anymore.
Carruthers Point has always been a popular camp for girls, so Porteous was shocked to learn that it was to be one of the properties that could be sold off within the next three years — as the cash-strapped Ontario branch looks for ways to save money.
“In your mind, you can understand the financial reality of how much it costs to run properties and we are a non-profit organization. But at the same time, it’s very disheartening to not have that local place.”
Every year over 100 girls attend the camp where they learn skills such as how to shoot a bow and arrow, cook meals outdoors and even build a raft.
“We used really big logs and then we cut them in half and we had to string them together,” said 11-year-old Abby Gilmour.
For many, it’s a place where they also make life-long companions.
“I make a lot of good friends. Some I was friends in Sparks with and now I’m still friends with,” said Girl Guide, Evie O’Brien.
News that the camp could close makes many of the campers sad.
“It’s going to make me really upset because I’ve been going here for five years,” Gilmour said.
So far, one camp in the Toronto area has already closed its doors. As for Carruthers Point Camp, there is no set date for its closure, but they will learn details this fall.
The waterfront property has been assessed and valued at over $1 million.
While Porteous hates to lose such a unique camp, she hopes down the road the land would be used to its full potential.
“An ideal situation would be adding it to the waterfront trail if the city would be inclined,” says Porteous
Girl Guides plans to close all 17 of its camps within the next three years.