The Hitchhiker's Guide to Camp Banting
Don't forget your towel.Our People: Volunteers, Staff, and Leadership
The heart, soul, and pancreas of our camp.
Sarah Lawrence, MD FRCSC
Medical Director & Chair
Dr. Sarah has over 25 years of experience working with the children and medical staff of Camp Banting. She’s been a positive impact in the lives of hundreds of families, her care and compassion an unmistakable color of her character. Dr. Sarah is a a long-time Endcrinologist from CHEO, where she was the Division Head for Endocrinology and Metabolism and served as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics. While she has retired from her clinical practice at CHEO, Dr. Sarah continues to be actively involved in the diabetes community. This includes outreach clinics, research, advocacy for the Diabetes @ School program, and working closesly with the Camp Banting community. Dr Sarah returns again to Camp Banting this summer to direct the medical care at camp.
Andrew Leonard
Director
Andrew first met Camp Banting in 1992, as a teenage lifeguard at Banting’s host camp, Camp Opemikon. He’s since continued a career in youth development that spanned two decades with organizations like the YMCA, Scouts Canada, and Diabetes Canada.
Andrew returned to Camp Banting in 2008, serving as its Assistant Director until 2011. He currently works as a human development coach and studies graduate psychology through Harvard University.
Sarah Hamilton
Camp Director
Sarah grew up at Camp Banting; from camper to camp director, she has called Banting home for over 22 years. Committing herself fully to the mission of helping families living with TID, Sarah started her career with Diabetes Canada in Government Relations, then Camp and Youth Programs. She then moved to CHEO, where she coordinated the Diabetes Program for many years. Sarah has been involved in youth-based diabetes programming for over 15 years and participates on studies, sharing her experience with diabetes. In her spare time, Sarah tackles life living with T1D.
Danielle McVicar
Chief Operations Officer
Most recently, Danielle represented Canada at the 2017 International Diabetes Federation Congress in Abu Dhabi.
Camp Committee
Our camp is an undertaking of community, fueled by the passion of its people. Our history is unique in that we’ve never owned our own facility. We show up with our people and our gear (and trunks full of costumes!) and we create belonging for our campers.
Camp Banting’s Camp Committee is an inter-disciplinary, inter-organizational group of stakeholders that steward this community-based endeavour. It’s a group that represents our medical team, program staff, facility partners, and organizational partners. We work together in an atmosphere of cooperative trust, with our North Star always being the experience of our campers.
This is far from just an admistrative body. It’s in the dedication, humor, and tireless enthusiasm of this group where the magic of camp finds its spark every season.
Medical Staff and Camp Counsellors
Every year, rainbow unicorns descend from the sky and glittering narwhals emerge from the seas. These fantastical beasts deliver us our medical and program staff. Now, we’ve never actually seen these magical creatures drop off their cargo, but our staff and volunteers are extraordinary. This is our best guess as to where they come from.
Our medical team is made up of doctors, nurses, dietitians, residents, endocrine fellows, interns, and students. This team is coordinated under the supervision of Dr. Sarah, and ensures that diabetes care is tightly monitored and carefully personalized for every camper at camp.
Almost all of our camp counsellors live with T1D, and many grew up coming to Camp Banting. This puts a high level of peer support and leadership in every one of our cabins. Our campers don’t just make friendships and learn from other kids, they get the leadership of gorgeous souls who have been through the same challenges.
Our Program: What We Do
Check out what powers our fireworks.
Aquatics & Swimming
We’re located on Davern Lake. This includes a large swimming area where campers can swim and receive aquatics instruction.
Low Ropes
Low ropes courses consist of separate elements, a bit like an obstacle course, that provide unique teambuilding opportunities for our campers.
High Ropes
Three separate high ropes areas provide campers with a jungle gym in the sky for campers to explore and build confidence.
Rock Climbing
Towering above the camp, the climbing wall provides challenge for campers of all ages and skill levels.
Arts & Crafts
A classic favorite of camps, Arts & Crafts provide the opportunity for campers to get creative in a social, supportive environment.
Canoeing & Kayaking
With a fleet of canoes and kayaks the endless kilometers on the lake provide a playground for campers to learn paddlesports.
Team Sports
Ultimate frisbee, touch football, soccer, and capture the flag are all games we play in cooperative, teambased ways to promote health.
Where Can We Take You From Here?
Choose your own adventure.
Hit the button above and you’ll be taken to our registration page!
Our program information page will (hopefully) answer all of your questions!!
Bob the Banting Bot will take your message and deliver it to us!
