Many children who attend grief camps are nervous or hesitant before they get there. It is common, and it makes sense too. Facing your grief head-on is a scary thing for children to do, for anybody really. Also, many grief-therapy supports are not exactly fun or engaging for young people. Grief camps are different. Most kids have so much fun at these camps that they ask to return the next year! One lovely little grief camper from Camp Firefly 2021 referred to her grief camp experience as: "better than my birthday and Christmas combined!". These types of reactions are pretty incredible for a program that is designed to encourage youth to work through their painful feelings. Grief camps are just sort of magical that way, because grief campers are healing in life-changing ways AND having fun, all at the same time. So as caregivers, all you need to do is encourage your child to build up the courage to attend grief camp. And we promise you – they will be thankful that you did.

And if you think it will help, you can always Youtube "grief camps" and show them some videos. It might put them at ease to see what grief camps are really like.

Who doesn't?! To struggle is to be human. Especially around death and loss. That's the whole point of this camp.

At Camp Firefly, we are honoured when our grief campers show us their vulnerabilities and release those painful thoughts and feelings. Grief camps are the safest space to do this in. Many of our grief campers will struggle in this way, or other ways, and that's more than okay with us! In fact, our Camp Firefly staff all do as well. To us: it's considered an act of bravery to share your emotions with others. Even emotions or behaviours that society often labels "difficult".

Camp Firefly will make sure that we have the right supports in place once we have our full camper list finalized. Medications and treatments can be administered on site, and there will always be quiet and safe places for our grief campers to retreat to - if they are feeling overwhelmed. In many ways, our grief campers will dictate how they want their weekend to go. We follow their lead, and we always want them to feel safe.

Furthermore, we know that many of our grief campers have helpful support workers in their communities: action therapists, respite workers, etc. We encourage our grief campers to bring their workers along with them, if they're okay with it! Camp Firefly 2021 hosted six or seven support workers alongside our twenty grief campers, and it just made the weekend that much more special and smooth for everyone involved. Support workers can attend the weekend at no cost to themselves or the families they support. We are always grateful when they come along.

Yes, most of the Camp Manitou grounds are extremely accessible. Even by wheelchair. Not all parts of Camp Manitou will be fully accessible for everyone, but we will adapt to make it work for our grief campers.

Furthermore, Camp Manitou just opened up Manitoba's first ever wheelchair accessible dock for canoeing and kayaking.

Camp Manitou prides itself on its accessibility, as does Camp Firefly, and we will work with all caregivers to make sure that all of our grief campers get the very best experience.

Camp firefly is generally created for children aged 6-17, though exceptions can sometimes be made. Please reach out if you have a specific question regarding age or availability.

Yes, Camp Firefly is a sleepover camp. Campers arrive Saturday morning, and they leave Sunday afternoon. However, Camp Firefly is always adaptable. If a grief camper would rather sleep at home, and come back the next morning, they can do so. It is sometimes more impactful for our grief campers to sleep overnight at camp, because it can increase the bonds they form with their fellow grief campers. But we are also proud to make any accommodations that will help our grief campers feel safe throughout camp. It is important to us that our grief campers have agency and shape what their camp looks like. So however they need their camp to go - that’s how it will go.

Traditional Camp Activities

• Zip-line
• Wall Climbing
• High Ropes
• Swimming
• Canoeing and Kayaking
• Bonfires
• Lawn Games
• Basketball
• Floor Hockey
• Dance Party

Grief Therapy Activities

• Animal Therapy
• Memory Frames
• Memory Pillows
• Candlelit Ceremony
• Music Therapy
• Grief Candle Making
• Letter Writing to Those Who Have Died
• Journaling
• Breathing Exercises
• Grief Scavenger Hunt

*** Not all activities are offered each year. And children can choose alternative activities if they aren’t comfortable doing any of the activities offered throughout the weekend. ***

Nothing.

Camp Firefly is offered at no cost to grief campers and their caregivers. Camp fees will all be covered in full, ideally through external fundraising efforts and charitable grants. And some of our grief campers with First Nations status can also get coverage through Jordan's Principle funding (and if it makes it easier on you, we can always connect with your workers directly).

One way or another, all camp costs will be covered for grief campers and their caregivers. It is crucial to us at Camp Firefly that your children and youth receive the best possible grief supports, without having to worry about how to pay for it.