The late founder of a Nova Scotia camp for children with chronic health issues will be commemorated in the form of a brand new arts centre.
Dave McKeage, who was the visionary behind Annapolis Valley’s Brigadoon Village, died on Dec. 30, 2018. He was 49.
The arts centre, named Dave’s Place, will be a deconstructed cabin designed to “bring campers together to create and imagine, whether it’s with clay and pottery, paint and canvas or instruments and dancing,” according to executive director David Graham.
“Dave was very passionate that art be a part of our camp programming,” Graham said. “He wanted to make sure that it was a core element of what we were giving to the children at Brigadoon.”
READ MORE: Founder of Brigadoon Village remembered for his ‘passion and dedication’
The facility will feature a ceramics studio, a music studio and a messy arts room. Organizers intend it to be the centrepiece at Brigadoon Village.
“It’s going to sit virtually dead-centre in our properties, so all of our campers and people who are in our programs will experience this space on a daily basis,” Graham added.
McKeage’s own battle with cancer prompted him to spend many years creating the camp. It’s dedicated to offering support and recreation to children, youth and families dealing with chronic health issues or special challenges.
In 2011, when Brigadoon Village opened its first camp, 38 campers living with Crohn’s and colitis attended. This past summer, over 800 kids attended. It has now become a large pediatric illness camp offering 14 camp programs designed to accommodate a health condition or other life challenge for kids aged seven to 18.
“It isn’t just a fun week away for a child that’s received a diagnosis,” Graham noted. “What happens at Brigadoon is a trans formative experience for these children.”
“The last six months, seeing this happening within our programs, really amplifies Dave’s legacy that he has left all of us.”
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Also announced on Tuesday was a $200,000 donation from longtime Brigadoon supporter Peter Kohler. The project is expected to cost between $500,00 and $600,00.
“Peter wanted to help commemorate Dave at camp, so he came forward as a catalyst for starting the project,” Graham said.
“We immediately starting consulting with Dave’s wife Krista and other family members and close friends and this beautiful legacy was conceived. Music and creative expression filled Dave with joy. This was part of his dream for Brigadoon.”
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Organizers hope the arts centre will be ready for next summer, but Graham says construction could stretch into the fall.
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