Val once told her husband, Alex, that Camp Ouareau saved her life. She always reflected on her time there as profoundly impactful and joyous. 

 

Val loved the idea of a memorial fund being set up in her memory to support a teen in need to attend Camp Ouareau, the bilingual all-girls outdoor adventure camp in St. Donat, Quebec. Ouareau was a profoundly impactful and joyous place for Valerie as a teenager, where she shared her confidence, incredible ability to connect with others, and innate nurturance and care with many young campers. Val and Alex would have sent their daughter there.
 

Funds donated in honour of the life and essence of Valerie will support a youth camper with joie de vivre (joy for living); a camper who would benefit from a place to express her authentic self. This fund will support young women and girls to gain what Val did from the Ouareau experience.

Val understood the impact of small and direct means of doing good for others. This fund intends to honour that kind of giving that Val taught us so much about. 

 

Val’s connection to Camp Ouareau

Val attended Camp Ouareau as a teen camper in early 2000’s. As many know, Val’s childhood and youth were rich in international experiences. Ouareau provided Val with a grounding and life changing summer experience in her home province of Quebec. Val’s camp experience continued at age 16, when she joined the two month Counsellor in Training (CIT) program, alongside nine other 17 year old young women. She brought to the experience her confidence, incredible ability to connect with others, and her innate nurturance and care for young campers. Val continued as a Camp Ouareau counsellor for two more years, often caring for camp’s youngest campers.

 

In her early twenties, Val went on to work in early childhood, and teach Educators at the College level in the field of Early Childhood Education. She dedicated much of her life to supporting young children and families.

 

Camp Ouareau Magic

Camp is a place where lifelong friendships begin, where girls (from age 6-16) from all walks come together to experience a special connection to Quebec nature, to develop their confidence, to grow in a multilingual environment and to build connection to self and peers. Once you come to camp, you’re forever a Ouareau girl. Camp lives in your heart and spirit forever.

 

Honouring Val through this memorial fund

Val’s camp experience as camper, CIT and then staff member was incredibly influential to her life. Before her passing, she shared with loved ones that she would like for a memorial fund to be set up in her memory. This fund will support young women and girls to gain what Val did from the Ouareau experience.

 

We know that Val’s undeniable joie de vivre, her essence and spirit will be present and live on through the magic and lifelong impact this campership fund will have on future young women and girls.

 

Val’s family will work alongside with Camp Ouareau to select campers with her in their hearts and minds. The intention of this memorial campership fund is to be able to support campers in need to attend Camp Ouareau for their entire camp experience (until they age out of camp at 16). Prioritizing teenage campers (13-16yrs old).

 

To learn more about Camp Ouareau, visit www.ouareau.com

 

You can choose to donate one time, or on a yearly basis.

Charitable tax receipts are not possible. 100% of funds will support campers to attend Camp Ouareau.