HISTORY THROUGH OUR EYES

Aug. 8, 1953: Busy summer at Camp Tamaracouta

The Scouts’ Camp Tamaracouta, in the Laurentians near Mille-Îles, about 80 kilometres from Montreal, has welcomed thousands of campers since 1912. Its outdoor chapel, seen here in a photo from our archives dated Aug. 8, 1953, was “one of the beauty spots of the camp,” we had reported the previous month.

The chapel had been donated as a memorial to scouts who served in the Second World War.

According to the caption that accompanied the photo, a variety of services were held regularly: Roman Catholic, Anglican and Jewish. In addition, on Sunday evenings, the camp director and his assistants would hold a non-denominational “Scouts’ Own” service.

The camp was a busy place. “A traditional flag-lowering ceremony is held each evening when the Scouts, in full dress, march to the skirl of the ‘pipes while the kilted Lachine Scottish Scout troop play. Every day is an active day for the lads, whose program includes swimming, hikes, badgework and crafts,” we reported on July 18, 1953.

The boys lived in “forts” that bore the names of Hudson’s Bay Company trading posts.

Water safety was stressed, and the camp was strict about ensuring that the scouts participated in swimming lessons. “Hundreds of young campers learned to swim, won awards given by the Canadian Red Cross Society and passed Royal Life Saving Society tests,” we reported in August 1953.

The camp, now known as the Tamaracouta Scout Reserve, has been closed temporary since late last year. Scouts Canada has said the property needs repairs and an upgrade — there are also concerns about economic sustainability — and that it is assessing the situation.