Meet the CNIB Lake Joe Community

Life can bring on sudden change and times of uncertainty. We have the power to decide how we move forward. When life threw Miriam Hesselbart a curveball, she decided to jump into the world of blind sports and found her way to CNIB Lake Joe.

Every summer, at the start of her family’s vacation, Sarah Knip stops to take a photograph of the large welcome sign that arches over the laneway leading to CNIB Lake Joe. That moment is the first in a string of Knip family traditions at the fully accessible camp located on the northwest corner of Lake Joseph in Muskoka.

CNIB Lake Joe is thrilled to introduce Bree Leblanc, our new Camp Program Manager. With her vibrant personality, love of puns, and a passion for camp, Bree is already making a positive impact on our community.

Sam Smadella is a recreational therapist who has always had a passion for helping others. Whether it's in palliative care, child care, or diverse communities, Sam always finds herself making an incredible impact wherever she goes.

The CNIB Lake Joe Advisory Board (LJAB) is currently recruiting new members. Jane Casey, LJAB member and long-time CNIB Lake Joe alumnus shares why she joined the Board and why you should consider this opportunity too.

David Throssell, Executive Consultant at IG Private Wealth Management – Throssell Group, has a long-time history with CNIB and played a special role as the presenting sponsor of CNIB Lake Joe’s 2023 Cookout With Cuddy fundraising event. Thrilled that David will be our presenting sponsor again for the 2024 Cookout With Cuddy encore event, we wanted you to learn more about him and why he couldn’t resist the chance to support CNIB Lake Joe.

It has been said that in order to truly grow, we must be willing to stretch. Vivian Chong, past CNIB Lake Joe guest, long-time CNIB Lake Joe volunteer and yoga practitioner has been stretching her whole life and encourages everyone to “expand yourself!”

In 2014, at the age of 38, Khrisstina's world was forever changed when a stroke caused her to lose her sight. The following two years were a tremendous struggle, marked by a profound loss of direction and the challenge of navigating life without sight. In 2016, she took a pivotal step by attending CNIB Lake Joe, a decision that would redefine her perspective on her ‘second life’ after losing her sight.

The COVID-19 pandemic was all about keeping everyone safe at home, but for the Gillan family – and hundreds like them – it was the start of a whole new way to connect with others sharing a sight loss journey.

When Matt first arrived at CNIB Lake Joe in his role as a volunteer counsellor, he was a teenager with a humble goal of completing volunteer hours for school. He jumped at the chance to get involved with CNIB Lake Joe as it was a stone’s throw from his family’s cottage. It didn’t take long before he began to understand the magic of CNIB Lake Joe.

CNIB Lake Joe is lucky to have long-time volunteers, but not many are like Jess Bailey. She has been volunteering at CNIB Lake Joe for most of her life!

We are so pleased to welcome Maria to CNIB Lake Joe as our new Program Manager.

Jade Ondrik, Virtual Music Specialist at CNIB Lake Joe, has been singing her heart out for as long as she can remember. The 19-year-old GTA resident was enrolled in vocal classes when she was just four years old and has been singing, dancing, and acting her whole life.

Alessia Trulli’s life changed at 22 when she woke up one day and couldn’t see. Diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, Alessia was going to school and supply teaching as an Early Childhood Educator as she started to adjust to her sight loss.

Kathy McCormick and her family have a long history with CNIB Lake Joe. Their first time at camp was in 2002 with their oldest son Jack, and since then, someone in the family has either volunteered or worked at the camp.

In July, Munashe Nyenya visited CNIB Lake Joe with three other youth from Alberta for the Canadian Leadership Development Program (CLDP). This program offers youth who are blind or partially sighted an opportunity to come together for learning, skills development, social interaction and good fun. We caught up with Munashe to hear what he had to say about his time at CNIB Lake Joe.

Every year during Adult Week programming, CNIB Lake Joe welcomes guests who are Deafblind and their intervenors. Laura Mason is an intervenor with CNIB Deafblind Community Services in Hamilton, Ont. And we spoke with her about her experiences at CNIB Lake Joe.

In July, Harjinder Saran visited CNIB Lake Joe with two other youth from British Columbia for the Canadian Leadership Development Program (CLDP). We spoke with Harjinder about her experience. 

This summer, CNIB Lake Joe was extremely fortunate to have Luca DeMontis, Program Director at Canadian Blind Hockey and General Manager of the Canadian National Blind Hockey Team, coach the first-ever Blind Hockey Camp during Camp Abilities Week. 

This interview is based on a “Guestimonial” Llonella Gilbert, our CNIB Lake Joe Communications Intern, had with Daniel during his stay at CNIB Lake Joe. 

Born in Peterborough, Shawn now lives with his family in Hiawatha First Nations, Ontario. He is First Nations Mississauga Ojibwe and is a Sun Dancer. Shawn lost his sight in 2010 at the age of 50. His first visit to CNIB Lake Joe was in 2013, and he hadn’t missed a year until the pandemic closed in-person camp in 2020.

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.

Jason Mitschele always wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He used to live in Africa and knew others who had made the assent. Blind from birth, Jason thought climbing was a lofty dream, but he is not the kind of guy to hold back. 

“It was overwhelming but in a good way,” says Cerenna-tee Racey when reflecting on her first visit to CNIB Lake Joe at the age of nine. 

“I’d like to say to anyone thinking about getting involved with CNIB Lake Joe, ‘What would you do if one of your family members was living with sight loss? How would you hope your friends and neighbours would respond to a request for help?’”

Meet Randall Oliphant, a remarkable donor, volunteer, and member of the CNIB Lake Joe Vision Team since its inception in 2016. 

CNIB Lake Joe volunteers like Corey Braun play a vital role in crafting enriching camp experiences.

“Being a volunteer at CNIB Lake Joe will change your life in a positive and remarkable way,” says Corey.

In the last two years, the CNIB Lake Joe property has undergone a makeover with the additions of a multi-sport court, a 5-a-side soccer pitch, a mini-golf course, and a fully resurfaced shuffleboard court. These accessible features will keep campers busy learning new skills and building friendships with teammates and competitors alike. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of Roy and Mark Klementti – a dynamic father/son volunteer duo.

by Martha Uniacke Breen for Cayman Marshall International Luxury & Lifestyle

“As I grew older, I needed a job, but I wasn’t comfortable in the typical teen jobs like fast food or retail. So my mum applied to CNIB for ideas. They suggested becoming a program facilitator, which is a kind of counsellor, at CNIB Lake Joe."

CNIB Lake Joe has been a “second home” for 49-year-old Julia Stevenson from Bowmanville, Ontario. When she recalled her most recent visit during the new Holiday Week program, she gushes that “It was the best experience…just phenomenal.”

“My parents say that Lake Joe saved me because I was angry and miserable when my vision changed," says Derek Thompson. "But once I was at Lake Joe, those feelings dissipated, and my maturity started to develop.” 

Nearly 35 years later, Derek Thompson still remembers his first visit to CNIB Lake Joe.

An advocate, student, teacher, and music specialist, Stela Trudeau started volunteering with CNIB summer camps when her eye condition was formally diagnosed in 2015.

Ollie has a compromised immune system, and to keep him safe during the pandemic, he has not been able to spend time with friends. But that changed when Ollie arrived at CNIB Lake Joe with his sister and parents as part of Holiday Week, a new offering at CNIB Lake Joe. Ollie met Mason, an 11-year-old boy, and as Ollie’s mum puts it, “The two became fast friends, inspiring each other to try new things.” When Mason told Ollie he was going to try kayaking all by himself – without a parent, Ollie wanted to try, too.

“I was totally surprised when I got the award. It never even crossed my mind,” says Fred. “I’m very thankful. I’ve been a Lion for over 50 years, and CNIB Lake Joe is one of the areas that I’ve most enjoyed in all my years of being in Lions.” 

Fred says that the love of CNIB Lake Joe runs in the family. 

CNIB Lake Joe has become a family vacation destination for the Knip family: Sarah, Josh and their children Caleb, Keagan, Avery, Hudson, and Nora.

Three of their children live with sight loss. After learning about the camp from an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist in 2015, the family now visits every summer.

Susan Creasy and her family have been part of the Lake Joe journey since the beginning. Her grandfather and great aunt, Wilfred C. James and Elsinore C. Burns, were both members of the Lake Joseph Planning Committee in the early stages of development in the 1960s.

Lion Barb Ennis grew up in Toronto close to CNIB's head office, and every day she saw people with white canes and guide dogs travelling to and from CNIB. And every summer, her family went to their cottage in Muskoka where her mom, a relief nurse at CNIB Lake Joe, would take her along.

Everyone has their own reason for volunteering. I volunteer to repay, in some small way, the enormous debt of gratitude I feel for CNIB: for the services it has provided to my brother David and for the life-changing experiences I have shared with him at CNIB Lake Joe.

Lion Bruce Roulston from Hagersville, Ontario, was a farmer for practically his entire life until he lost his vision to Retinitis Pigmentosa.

“I was 53 when I got off the farm because it was too dangerous for me to work. I realized I needed support and that’s when CNIB became a big part of my life,” says Bruce. 

When Alicia Chenier arrived at CNIB Lake Joe as a 12-year-old, she didn’t have to “hide being blind."

“I used to pretend I wasn’t blind because I was bullied for it. School was tough,” says Alicia. 

For Nancy Simonot, volunteering with CNIB Lake Joe is a family affair. Her journey with CNIB began when her son, Matthew, had a transformational experience as a volunteer counsellor.

Do you remember what you were doing 23 years ago? Were you sitting in a packed movie theatre breathlessly watching Titanic? Humming along to Elton John’s Candle in the Wind? Enjoying the warm winter compliments of El Nino? For Jim Tokos, 1997 was the beginning of a prolific volunteer career at CNIB Lake Joe.

It was five years ago, right here at CNIB Lake Joe, that my daughter said to me, ‘Mom, I have found my people.' At that moment, I knew that we were going to be okay.

The moment Joshua Cook arrived at CNIB Lake Joe, he knew it was the beginning of a beautiful, lifelong bond.

"Before I went to camp, I felt isolated. I was the only person I knew with a visual impairment," says Joshua. "I wanted to be around other people with sight loss. Lake Joe really put things into perspective for me."