Alida Love and Krista Johnson are a Mom and daughter from Charlottetown, PEI. They both worked as camp counsellors at Camp Huronda at age 18; Alida in 1981, Krista in 2023.
Alida was born and raised in Orangeville and went to high school, played on the volleyball team with Camp Huronda alumnus, Colleen Egan. Colleen encouraged Alida to apply to camp, the summer after Grade 13. After going to an interview at Uncle Don Anderson’s house, he gave Alida the job.
Alida did not know a soul when she first set foot on the shores of Lake Waseosa, after tearfully bidding goodbye to her high school boyfriend at the time. She was swept away by the magic of the place (the lake, the pine trees), and doing the things she loved (swimming, canoeing, hiking, taking overnight trips to Algonquin Park, and playing so much music – flute for her. She loved the spirit of creativity and fun, and the amazing kind-hearted, smart, talented and funny people!
Alida learned so much about diabetes that she had never known before. she came away with life-long friends and cherished memories. Many of the new friends she met at camp just happened to be going to University of Guelph, where she was starting her Human Kinetics degree that fall. What a coincidence!
Many, many years later, when Alida attended the Camp Huronda 50th reunion, she felt that her youngest daughter Krista might be a good fit to work at camp and perhaps love it as much as she did (Alida has 3 daughters).
So, Krista began working as a camp counsellor in the summer of 2023. She also did not know anyone when she started working at camp. After making new friends and agreeing that Camp Huronda has a certain magic to it, Krista happily returned to work at camp the following summer teaching waterfront skills. A few things Krista really likes about camp are:
– helping campers develop skills with their Type 1 diabetes, as well as seeing them advance in their skills in the water and boats.
– learning a lot about diabetes.
– meeting new people, making connections
– the lake; being able to work down there everyday
– the campfires
– Concordia Day and the games are always fun
– boating and getting out to see places like Treasure Island, the Lake Waseosa sign, and the Beaver Dam
-so many frogs, salamanders, deer, (someone even spotted a moose one morning on the MPS!)
Krista is currently attending Mount Allison University in Sackville , New Brunswick, studying Sociology and working as a lifeguard at Mount A., dancing on the competitive dance team and has a role as a dancer in the upcoming Mount A. musical, Footloose.
Thanks for the memories Camp Huronda!!
Sincerely,
Alida Love and Krista Johnson