A Big Thanks To Bob Rumball & Family

The Ontario Camp of the Deaf is bringing adventure, fun and comraderie into the lives of a new generation of hearing-impaired youth—and others

- Patricia Griffiths

Snuggled deep in the bush off of Crane Lake Road in Seguin, Ont., is a hidden gem called the Bob Rumball Ontario Camp of the Deaf, also known as The Ontario Camp of the Deaf. Perhaps “hidden” isn’t quite accurate, because there are signs for the camp on Highway 400 and on Blackstone Crane Lake Road itself. Local residents know of the camp, since it’s been active in the Parry Sound district for more than 50 years.

What was never hidden was camp co-founder Reverend Robert Rumball’s passion and commitment for creating a place where individuals considered “marginalized” in society could enjoy a summer-camp experience and get a reprieve from feeling “different” or “special.” The story goes that while driving in the Parry Sound area in the early 1960s, the reverend saw a “For Sale” sign on some land south of the town and closed the deal quickly. Under the auspices of the Evangelical Church of the Deaf and the Ontario Mission of the Deaf, Reverend Rumball proceeded to form The Ontario Camp of the Deaf.

Then, as now, the camp ran on a shoestring budget, and it’s easy to imagine that campers really roughed it in regards to accommodations and recreational facilities. There certainly wouldn’t have been the SplashPad, skateboard park or climbing walls that are available for the campers today. What was in abundance, however, was love, acceptance and the awareness that for the first time in their lives, children had a camp designed for them that was owned and operated by the deaf.