About
Built for Atlantic Canada’s community of military and first responder families.
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About Camp Cassidy
Camp Cassidy is a charitable organization founded in 2019, dedicated to providing a recreational and wellness centre reserved exclusively for Canadian current or former military and first responder personnel and their immediate families in the Atlantic Provinces, at no cost to them.
Situated on a picturesque 150-acre waterfront property at Cassidy Lake, New Brunswick, the Camp currently offers a range of amenities and activities. Notable features include the professionally designed 3.2 km Three Bridges Hiking Trail winding through a captivating forest adorned with scenic streams, calming scenes and vistas, along with an historic 141 year-old country church repurposed as a secular Gathering Place Building for small group wellness events.
The Camp’s Three Bridges Hiking Trail offers the calming experience of walking in a forest, often referred to as “nature therapy,” that has been shown to have a profoundly positive impact on mental health, promoting relaxation, and reducing stress. The lush green surroundings, fresh air, and soothing sounds of nature help reduce stress and anxiety levels. The exposure to natural compounds released by trees can boost the immune system and improve mood. And the act of walking promotes physical activity, which releases endorphins and other mood-boosting chemicals in the brain. This combination of sensory engagement, natural aromatherapy, and gentle exercise contributes to a sense of rejuvenation, and improved overall well-being.
Current or former Canadian military and first responder personnel, as well as their immediate families, can access the Camp’s trail and other facilities between the Victoria Day and Thanksgiving weekends, during daylight hours, at no cost. Small groups (2-25 people) who wish to access The Camp’s Gathering Place Building can contact the Camp at admin@campcassidy.ca.
Meeting a Need
For six generations, the Cassidy Family from Cassidy Lake, NB enjoyed their one hundred and fifty acre forested property at the Lake (the “Property”) as a place to live, work and pursue outdoor family recreational opportunities such as hiking, boating, picnicking, fishing and swimming.
They strongly believe Atlantic Canada’s community of military and first responder families (both serving and former members) deserve the opportunity to enjoy those same experiences on the Property, in a family setting and in a facility dedicated to their unique needs.
Just as Canada’s military and first responder personnel have access to similar facilities in other parts of the country, these special Canadians and their families living in the Atlantic Provinces will benefit from an outdoor recreational facility combined with a first class wellness centre designed for their exclusive use. Developing the Property as Camp Cassidy will meet this need.
The Benefits to Our Military and First Responder Community
Camp Cassidy is aware military and first responder personnel and their families face unique challenges as a result of, among other things, deployments for training, combat roles, security service, first response responsibilities and peacekeeping missions. Such challenges include operational stress injuries, anxiety, hyper-vigilance, depression and conflict management, along with issues caused by prolonged or recurring separation and relocation. The development and operation, on a non-profit basis, of recreational facilities and a wellness centre with programs at the Property is intended to provide a safe, unique experience for military and first responder families to experience the therapeutic and revitalizing benefit of outdoor adventure and wellness activities at no cost to them.
Camp Cassidy understands military and first response personnel can obtain significant benefit from outdoor activities that allow them to connect, and, in some cases, re-connect with their family members. The Cassidy Family places a high value on the positive, healing value of strong family bonds, and the emphasis at Camp Cassidy, from design to operation, is on family-oriented recreation and wellness. For example, individual family style cabins with sleeping quarters will be established, rather than large traditional “bunkhouses” found at kids’ camps. Individual kitchen and dining facilities built into each cabin will maximize family oriented meals. Infrastructure for a “Gathering Place” building (a large congregating area) will be created with separate meeting/seminar rooms for group events, therapy and wellness counseling.
A Rare Opportunity
Help Us Grow
By providing top notch outdoor recreation opportunities and wellness facilities available solely for military and first responder families at no cost to them, Camp Cassidy provides an important and rare opportunity to meet the unique needs of these special Canadians.
A Favourable Location
The Property is a 50 minute drive from CFB Gagetown, one of Canada’s largest military bases, and the town of Oromocto, NB, a vibrant community of 10,000 primarily made up of military families and veteran personnel. The Property is easily accessible by major highway from all three of New Brunswick’s largest cities and from major centres in both P.E.I and Nova Scotia, as well as other bases and military communities in the Atlantic Provinces. Amenities (grocery stores, etc.) are located in the nearby town of Sussex.