Twin Fir Camp

1940 Bunny at Camp 1943 Bunny, Carol, Bill 1945 John,Fay,Carol 1945 July Carol, John, Fay
1940 Aunt Bunny 1943 Bunny Carol Bill 1945 John Fay Carol 1945 Carol John Fay
1950AuntBunnyL Carol-at-pumpL 1951 Brochure List of Campers
1950 Aunt Bunny 1945 Carol 1951 Brochure 1950 List of Campers
1951_Final_Instructions 1945 July Campers 1948 Fay, David, Carol (1) 1951 Clothing for Camp
1951 Instructions 1945 Camp Photo 1948 Fay David Carol 1951 Clothing List
1948Merrick 1950CarolFayL lake-view-1 lake-view-2
1948 Ricky 1950 Carol Fay Lac Sarrazin Lac Sarrazin

Twin Fir Camp for Girls was built by Jean’s mother, my grandmother, Catherine (Kathleen) Dunlop, very similar to Echo Camp on Raquette Lake. Twin Fir was near the Village of Ste Lucie de Doncaster, north of Montreal in the Laurentian Mountains.

It was so exciting taking the train to camp by myself when I was seven – all the way from Buffalo to Montreal. I felt so grown-up! Dad gave me half a bag of Canadian jelly beans to keep me company, the conductor was told to keep his eye on me and Grandma met me at the station to change trains for Ste Agathe.

Jean worked there almost every summer from 1930 until 1951 when we moved to Wilmington, DE. My cousin Carol and I attended as campers from 1941 on with John, Ricky, David et les deux fils de M. Porrier allowed as honorary campers.

The original camp was a small cottage across the lake with two tall fir trees on the property, hence the name. That first summer the cook did not show up on opening day. Grandma turned to Mother, who had just turned 17, and said, “You can cook for 25, can’t you?” Mother says she never thought of refusing!
Grandma Dunlop was an early health food advocate, insisting on brown bread, oatmeal every morning – and only 1/2 a candy bar per week. She loved carrot juice – for herself, not the whole camp! There was no electricity, water was carried from one pump and we campers all did our own laundry on scrub boards on the shore of Lac Sarrazin.

Twin Fir had 10 cabins for 60 campers, one for Grandma and Mother, and one for Auntie Kay and Uncle Vaughan. There was a large dining hall, an arts and crafts center/library called the “Wigwam,” the counselors’ house and the Rec that burned down in the middle of the night my last summer – I think 1950 – along with all the costumes for our plays.

The final three years, 1951 to 1953, my aunt and uncle owned the camp. Now much of the property is overgrown once again, as in 1930.

Memories of a Twin Fir Camper

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