Sends us your email and ideas

We have more than 300 emails for camp alumni, but over the last couple of years some of you have moved or changed your email accounts.

Please send your new email and emails of other alumni to campstephensalumni@gmail.com so that we can update our list of camp alumni.

If you have an idea for a blog entry or wish to contribute other material like letters, recipes, diary entries, trip maps. . .send them my way.

If any links are broken, please tell me.

And don't be bashful. It's OK to comment. Really. It's OK.


Thursday, October 13, 2011

When Craig Lodge became the Thomas Sill Dining Hall and More

I've uploaded more photos. Some new. Some old. Some I'm not too sure why they were taken. 


What you see here on these old contact sheets -- I do not have the photos -- is what camp looked like in the late 1970s before the lodge was built. 


What you see here is what the old rec hall looked like inside, the Davey, and the interior of B4 (first shot), a staff cabin that was between the Wellness Centre and the Director's Cabin. Also shown is the interior of Sussex, which has also been replaced.


The last few photos are of High-Rise #1. Why someone felt compelled to shoot the inside of it, God only knows.


Also in this batch are a number of photos of the dining hall (click) when it was fixed up to deal with the asbestos on the ceiling and to hide the ugly blue sheet metal siding.



All photos I've uploaded are here.  If you see someone you know, ID them or leave a comment. You can also click on "slideshow" just to watch.


And if you crave more, there are more than 770 photos of camp old and new here. Enjoy.

Postcript: Mystery Solved--Alumni Grant Platts says the contact sheet pictures look like the ones that he and Burton Boryen (Tutt) took to accompany the Operations Manual that they wrote sometime in the mid-70’s (hence the riveting shots of the power pole, sinks, tractor, etc.).


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Marlene Penner 1962 - 2011

Marlene Penner passed away peacefully on October 4, 2011 at St. Boniface Hospital into the comfort of God's hands, at age 49, after a brief battle with cancer. 
She will be deeply missed by her dad Harry, brothers Len (Carol), Tom (Judy), nephews Kevin (Val), Mark (Cynthia); nieces Alicia, Kimberly (Kevin), Christine and Michelle, great-niece and nephews Avery, Hudson and Jacob, and many relatives and friends. 
Marlene was born March 7, 1962 in Winnipeg and was the youngest of four siblings. She was predeceased by her brother Ken and mother Ruth. She attended Ashland, Riverview and Churchill High School. She attended university, which led her into camp work.
 She worked for Camp Arnes and then YMCA-YWCA where she was working at the onset of her illness. She was Camp Director at Camp Stephens for four years, and then became Membership Director at the Downtown Branch. 
Marlene will be remembered for her great smile, sense of humour, independence and her positive attitude and loyalty to the people in her life. She loved her garden, flowers, crafts, reading, travel , going to the beach, and spoiling her nieces and nephews. 
The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the staff at St. Boniface Palliative Care for their care and compassion in making Marlene's last days as comfortable as possible. 
Visitation will take place at Friends Funeral Service, 2146 Main St., Winnipeg on Tuesday, October 11 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Interment will be at Brookside Cemetery on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:00 a.m. The celebration of Marlene's life will be at 11:00 a.m. at Portage Ave Church, 1420 Portage Ave. 
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marlene's name to YMCA-YWCA Strong Kids Campaign.