“Come on, summer, hurry up and get here. I can’t wait to see everybody!” exclaims Sue Nikita, long-time CNIB Lake Joe camper.
Established in 1961, CNIB Lake Joe is the only camp of its kind for Canadians with sight loss and their families. At CNIB Lake Joe, children are encouraged to shine, youth are empowered to thrive, and 'kids of all ages' enjoy recreational pursuits. With a focus on creating enriching camp experiences, the camp's accessible and inclusive programs foster personal growth while enriching lives, making memories and building independence.
For many campers, transportation poses a significant barrier to visiting CNIB Lake Joe. With the support of Lions Clubs and dedicated Lion Peter Best, campers from southwestern Ontario have travelled safely and comfortably to Lake Joe on "Peter’s Bus" since 1989.
“In the late ‘80s, I noticed many people with sight loss from the Windsor area were not able to get to CNIB Lake Joe,” says Lion Peter from the Windsor Downtown Lions Club. “It seemed like the people who were least able to travel were those who could benefit the most from CNIB Lake Joe.”
Eager to get as many people to camp as possible, Lion Peter approached Lions Clubs to financially assist with renting vans and chartering buses. In recent years, this transportation program has grown to bring people to camp from across southern Ontario and even areas outside of District A1 as required.
“Coming to camp is the only vacation we have, and it’s such a peaceful spot. We enjoy the ride there and home,” shares Sue. “Peter makes it lots of fun. It’s well organized, and I’ve been taking Peter’s Bus for a number of years."
The success of Peter’s Bus is a source of pride in District A1. Fellow Lions presented Peter with the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in 2021 to recognize his work.
“Peter's dedication to eliminating transportation barriers to get more people to CNIB Lake Joe is inspiring to all Lions,” says Lion Bob Tanner, Chair, Sight Conservation and Co-Chair, MDA Lions/CNIB Committee.
Lion Peter's actions and his own words – 'If they can’t get there, they can’t benefit' – have inspired Lion Bob and fellow Lions to expand upon the success of Peter's Bus.
"Our MDA Lions/CNIB Committee launched a campaign to raise funds to replace one of the camp's aging minibuses to help ensure more campers can get to CNIB Lake Joe," says Bob. "As Knights of the Blind, we have a goal to raise $160,000 for a new minibus to provide reliable, safe, accessible and comfortable transportation for campers."
"Everyone impacted by sight loss – adults, children & youth, and families – should be able to access life-changing programs at CNIB Lake Joe," says Eugene Chong, General Manager, CNIB Lake Joe. "Our minibuses are aging, unreliable and expensive to maintain. People come to CNIB Lake Joe from all across Canada, and this new minibus will enable us to transport more guests from the airport and other pick-up locations within Ontario. Thank you to our dedicated Lions partners for helping smash transportation barriers!"
Lion Bob urges all Lions to visit cnib.ca/LakeJoeMinibus and donate to the CNIB Lake Joe minibus campaign.