Easter Seals Camp Merrywood (opened 1948)
Easter Seals Camp Merrywood is located on a beautiful peninsula stretching out into Big Rideau Lake. The camp sits on 30 acres of property between Smiths Falls and Perth in Eastern Ontario.
Built in 1948, Camp Merrywood began as a summer camp for kids with polio. Six campers attended in its first year.
The site has 12 buildings including: six camper cabins that can accommodate up to 72 campers per session, a health hut, dining room and lodge, music and theatre building, nature building, specially adapted swimming pool. Merrywood offers a full waterfront program and activities such as sailing, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.
Campers also get to experience a variety of camping trips. There are four-day canoe trips to Crotch Lake and one-night trips through the Rideau Canal system.
At Easter Seals Camp Merrywood, campers expand their leadership abilities through a myriad of creative arts programs and multi-sports activities. During the summer, the camp offers three 10-day Individual Camp sessions, one 5-day Discovery Camp session for children 6 – 12 years, one 7-day Sports Camp for campers 13-18 years, one five-day Family Camp session; three GEAR-UP and Leaders in Training sessions, and one 7-day Out-tripping Adventure trip to Algonquin Park.
There is a camp staff of 70, which includes a team of 4 registered nurses and 2 healthcare assistants
Fully Accessible Activities Offered at Camp Merrywood
Sports
Archery
Caneoing
Kayaking
Overnight canoe trips (1-4 days)
White water rafting
Sailing
Sports (basketball, badminton, lacrosse)
Sledge Hockey
Sit Volleyball
Swimming
General Camp Activities
Arts and Crafts
Beach Day
Campfires
Dances
Environmental Studies
Fishing
Leadership Skills
Life Skills
Media Arts
Music and Drama
Pontoon boat rides
Pottery
Off-Season Camp Rental
Easter Seals Camp Merrywood is available for rental during the off-season to host events such as corporate team building programs, conferences, anniversary parties, family reunions and annual general meetings. Please note – camps are unavailable to rent between June 1st and August 31st annually as Easter Seals Summer Camps will be in session.
Please contact Jacques Schryer at 613-267-1244 or jschryer@easterseals.org for more information.
Water Statement
Easter Seals Ontario camps comply with the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act. All water treatment records are available for viewing at the camp.
Camp Director
Dear Parents:
Choosing a sleep away camp for your son or daughter is an important decision. As a parent, you will want to choose a place that supports the values you instil at home, a place where your child will make new friends and learn life skills for the future. The place you select will hopefully be your child’s home away from home for many summers to come.
As Camp Directors, we appreciate all of the factors that go into making this decision. As you consider trusting us with your most precious gift – your child – we hope that the information you will find on the Easter Seals Ontario website will help you to navigate through the camp selection process and give you a better sense of what makes Easter Seals Ontario camps such a special place.
We look forward to meeting you and introducing you and your child, to the wonderful world of Easter Seals Ontario summer camp.
Kate Goodfellow
Barb Gray, Easter Seals Camp Merrywood Director
Barb’s camp career began as an Easter Seals Camp Nurse 28 years ago. Barb quickly learned that if she stayed in school and gained further qualifications, she could keep returning to camp each summer, be with the kids and do the work she found the most rewarding. Since completing her Masters degrees in both nursing and social work from the University of Toronto, Barb has worked full time in the Easter Seals Provincial Office, with the opportunity to escape to Camp Merrywood every summer. Barb is also an active member of the Ontario Camps Association, sitting on the Health Care Committee, Special Needs Committee and the Standards Revision Committee.
Camp Merrywood Directions and Contact Information
For contact information and directions, please visit the Camp Merrywood Contact Us page.
