FROM BELFAST TO TORONTO: A JOURNEY OF HOPE THIS AUGUST

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In the early morning when the house is quiet, there is a certain breeze, a quiet one without any fragrance, drifting gently into your room. Your mind wanders and remembers this breeze from summers spent north of our city.

To glassy lakes with only a mist resting on top of the water, a loon with its babies calling out and the smell of a camper’s fire preparing the boiling kettle of cowboy coffee -- it does not matter that you have not been to a cottage for 15 years since the breeze holds you. Oversized Canadian Shield rocks hosting trees that have bent to precarious positions, inspiration for the Group of Seven, creating mass exodus every Friday out of Toronto to all parts north, summer residence for movie starlets from Hollywood – Muskoka is a mythical Canadian place.

An ocean away, many children in Belfast, Northern Ireland would never dream of a country where people of all nationalities, faiths and diverse interests could live harmoniously in one city, in one neighbourhood. Their lives are entrenched in the years of political troubles and it is desperately hard to escape this war torn past. A Muskoka lake would be the catalyst for bringing tranquility into their hearts and allowing children from inner city Belfast to be kids and come together with Canadian children in the most peaceful surrounding.

The Ireland Fund of Canada is dedicated to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland with its primary focus on organizations serving young people. From years of working with cross-community organizations, we know that integrated education for children is the building block for a world without hate, a world of hope.

An exciting opportunity has become available this year for 25 to 30 teenagers from impoverished areas of Belfast – North, South, East and West to come to Toronto to experience a Canadian summer holiday in Muskoka. This journey to Canada would be a journey to a country proud of its multi-culturalism, its peacekeeping history and its strong Irish community.

“Bring a Kid to Camp in Canada” would never have been possible without the tremendous individuals and corporations that have partnered with us to bring these children to Canada. The Ireland Fund of Canada is pleased to announce that Sunquest Tours have most generously agreed to sponsor each of these children by flying them to Toronto on Friday, July 30th from Belfast to return on August 13th. Without an airline sponsor this endeavour would have never got off the ground.

The criteria for selecting the youth utilized our associations with cross-community organizations such as the Fellowship of Messines and Belfast Together (past grant recipients of the Ireland Funds). These two organizations have been identifying children from homes that are economically deprived, from neighbourhoods that have been the most impacted by the many years of political violence and equally from the Catholic and Protestant cultures and both boys and girls. These young people however must be strong in their hopes for a new Northern Ireland without hatred.

On May 13th, we received the most tremendous gift from Sunquest Tours following a meeting with Eamonn Ferrin, President who was born and raised in Belfast and now resides with his family in Toronto. We had hoped to have 20 donated flights but were certainly prepared to postpone the project if we could not find a sponsor. When the answer came that afternoon, Sunquest went beyond our expectations by generously offering 30 return flights.

In our meeting with Mr. Ferrin he stated that he believed passionately that a journey to Canada would enhance the lives of these teenagers and provide a lasting impression. The visit would bring them in contact with Canadian children from diverse backgrounds while letting them experience a holiday that they would never know otherwise. He was very proud to become the premier sponsor of this initiative and help to create a new venue for peace and reconciliation for these inner city Belfast teenagers.

It is only through this donation that “Bring A Kid To Camp in Canada” is possible and for all of these children it will be their first time on an airplane. Upon their arrival at Toronto Airport, they will head north to Muskoka Woods Camp for a ten day camping and canoeing holiday with peace and reconciliation workshops and youth leadership courses. Upon their return to Toronto on August 10th, they will tour City Hall, visit with British Consul General, Geoffrey Berg, do further workshops on conflict resolution and visit the Zoo and other Toronto sites.

The programme will not end on August 13th as there will be a published document prepared by youth workers in Canada and in Belfast to monitor the progress of these young people and demonstrate the value of removing children from their present environments even for short periods to awaken their appreciation for new ideas and new abilities to resolve conflict. Each teenager will be expected to produce a written report shortly upon return to Belfast and then bring their knowledge and leadership skills to their own youth groups such as, Belfast Together.

The Ireland Fund of Canada is extremely grateful to Mr. Eamonn Ferrin and Sunquest for making this journey of hope possible for 30 teenagers. We would be most grateful to any other individual or corporation that would like to sponsor one or several of these teenagers to attend the camping experience at Muskoka Woods Camp. Please do not hesitate to contact Daithi Connaughton, National Director or Eleanor McGrath at 416-367-8311. Thank you for your continued support and we will look forward to updating this report in the fall.

~Eleanor McGrath, Ireland Fund of Canada