Health And Safety
At Camp Manitou, right from pre-camp, all staff are taught to ‘Always challenge safety’. That means we take great measures to ensure the camp is an unquestionably safe environment and we spend considerable hours teaching our staff about all elements of risk management safety, health as well as the little things; watching out for dehydration, reapplying of sun tan lotion, nutrition, eating habits, proper use of insect repellant, allergy and anaphylaxis, and a host of over another 20 topics. Risk management sessions however are very serious and not a sound can be heard as staff realize the responsibility they undertake as camp staff.
Your Child’s Health
We believe in being prepared for any situation, large or small, that might arise. In order to deal with these, all of our staff are trained during pre-camp in all the necessary accident, emergency and fire procedures. We have a well equipped health center located on camp property that is staffed at all times. Our medical team consists of health care assistants, nurses/nursing students and pediatricians/family physicians, all who live on site during the summer. The district hospital accessed by our full time driver and medical staff is just a 20 minute drive. We even have seven Epipen/Auto Injector stations around camp as our staff is all trained on anaphylaxis signs and symptoms and use of Auto-Injectors even for a campers that may have a first time reaction at camp.
Camp Directors meet each unit the first day of the session and stress the safety rules so they understand their importance. This takes time but it sets a tone for camp and allows the kids to ask questions and understand the importance of each rule. The entire head staff team of 60 also meets each morning to review any pertinent medical issues.
Camp Manitou is accredited by the Ontario Camping Association (OCA). Camp membership in the OCA is not automatic: any camp seeking OCA accreditation must undergo a two-year provisional period, during which time it is visited by OCA representatives each year, and must meet all standards before being accepted for full membership.
Food Allergies (Life Threatening) & Dietary Restrictions
At Camp Manitou, right from pre-camp, all staff are taught to ‘Always challenge safety’. That means we take great measures to ensure the camp is an unquestionably safe environment and we spend considerable hours teaching our staff about all elements of risk management safety, health as well as the little things; watching out for dehydration, reapplying of sun tan lotion, nutrition, eating habits, proper use of insect repellant, allergy and anaphylaxis, and a host of over another 20 topics. Risk management sessions however are very serious and not a sound can be heard as staff realize the responsibility they undertake as camp staff.
We believe in being prepared for any situation, large or small, that might arise. In order to deal with these, all of our staff are trained during pre-camp in all the necessary accident, emergency and fire procedures. We have a well equipped health center located on camp property that is staffed at all times. Our medical team consists of health care assistants, nurses/nursing students and pediatricians/family physicians, all who live on site during the summer. The district hospital accessed by our full time driver and medical staff is just a 20 minute drive. We even have seven Epipen/Auto Injector stations around camp as our staff is all trained on anaphylaxis signs and symptoms and use of Auto-Injectors even for a campers that may have a first time reaction at camp.
Camp Directors meet each unit the first day of the session and stress the safety rules so they understand their importance. This takes time but it sets a tone for camp and allows the kids to ask questions and understand the importance of each rule. The entire head staff team of 60 also meets each morning to review any pertinent medical issues.
Camp Manitou is accredited by the Ontario Camping Association (OCA). Camp membership in the OCA is not automatic: any camp seeking OCA accreditation must undergo a two-year provisional period, during which time it is visited by OCA representatives each year, and must meet all standards before being accepted for full membership.
Nut Safe Policy & Protocols
At Camp Manitou, right from pre-camp, all staff are taught to ‘Always challenge safety’. That means we take great measures to ensure the camp is an unquestionably safe environment and we spend considerable hours teaching our staff about all elements of risk management safety, health as well as the little things; watching out for dehydration, reapplying of sun tan lotion, nutrition, eating habits, proper use of insect repellant, allergy and anaphylaxis, and a host of over another 20 topics. Risk management sessions however are very serious and not a sound can be heard as staff realize the responsibility they undertake as camp staff.
We believe in being prepared for any situation, large or small, that might arise. In order to deal with these, all of our staff are trained during pre-camp in all the necessary accident, emergency and fire procedures. We have a well equipped health center located on camp property that is staffed at all times. Our medical team consists of health care assistants, nurses/nursing students and pediatricians/family physicians, all who live on site during the summer. The district hospital accessed by our full time driver and medical staff is just a 20 minute drive. We even have seven Epipen/Auto Injector stations around camp as our staff is all trained on anaphylaxis signs and symptoms and use of Auto-Injectors even for a campers that may have a first time reaction at camp.
Camp Directors meet each unit the first day of the session and stress the safety rules so they understand their importance. This takes time but it sets a tone for camp and allows the kids to ask questions and understand the importance of each rule. The entire head staff team of 60 also meets each morning to review any pertinent medical issues.
Camp Manitou is accredited by the Ontario Camping Association (OCA). Camp membership in the OCA is not automatic: any camp seeking OCA accreditation must undergo a two-year provisional period, during which time it is visited by OCA representatives each year, and must meet all standards before being accepted for full membership.
Meet Our Doctors
Dr. Jeremy Friedman
Dr. Jeremy Friedman graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1985. After completing his internship in South Africa he worked as a family doctor in rural Saskatchewan for 3 years. He began his residency at Sick Kids in Toronto in 1990 and finished as chief paediatric resident in 1994. Since then he has worked as full-time faculty at Sick Kids as a general paediatric hospitalist, including as Division Head of Paediatric Medicine from 2004-2014. In 2012 he was appointed Associate Paediatrician-in-Chief at Sick Kids and Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. He has previously served as MSA President and is currently co-chair of the hospital MAC as well as interim Paediatrician-in-Chief at Sick Kids and Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.
Dr Friedman’s academic interests relate to the care provided to the hospitalized child. He is an academic leader in the rapidly growing field of Hospitalist Paediatrics, and introduced the highly regarded Sick Kids ‘complex care’ program which has developed into a world leader in care for the medically complex child. A current area of focus relates to resource stewardship and overuse of tests and therapies, where he leads the Sick Kids Choosing Wisely initiative. He has consulted broadly to childrens hospitals in Canada and around the world related to models of clinical care.
Dr. Friedman was appointed to the examination board of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons for Paediatrics in 2006. He chaired the Canadian Paediatric Society’s Annual Conference 2009-15, and represented hospitalists on the Canadian Paediatric Society’s Acute Care Committee authoring many national clinical guidelines. He has published over 100 manuscripts and book chapters, and has edited 2 Paediatric handbooks and 7 bestselling books for parents sold around the world.
Dr Friedman has been recognized with many awards for his outstanding contributions to clinical care and teaching. He currently acts as the national medical advisor for the Children’s Wish Foundation and as a director for the Jacobs Ladder Foundation.
Dr. Paul Perlon
From Toronto, Ontario, Paul completed his medical training at the University of Toronto and residency training at McGill University in Family and Emergency Medicine. Dr. Perlon is now the Deputy Chief of Emergency at Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill. He has extensive experience in the management of patients in all areas of medicine, surgery, and pediatrics. He also earned his diploma of Principles and Practice of Pain Management from Harvard University. Paul returns for his 6th summer at Manitou.
Dr. Sari Kraft
From Toronto, Ontario, Sari completed her medical degree at the University of Ottawa, and then completed a residency in family medicine and a fellowship in sport and exercise medicine, both at the University of Toronto. She practices in midtown and downtown Toronto, and is a lecturer in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. She also provides medical coverage for a variety of sporting events and has travelled internationally as a team physician with Canada Basketball, Skate Canada, and Curling Canada. She was a lead medical doctor for the gymnastics venue at the 2015 Pan Am Games and was a member of the core medical team for the Canadian delegation at the 2017 Summer World University Games. Sari was a Manitou camper for six years and a staff member for four years. She returns for her second summer as camp doctor.
Dr. Chris Westbrook
From Markham, Ontario, Chris is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario Medical School. He pursued post-graduate studies in Toronto and Hamilton and now practices Family and Urgent Care Medicine in Markham. Dr. Westbrook returns for his 3rd year at Manitou.
Dr. Gillian Lindzon
Dr. Gillian Lindzon completed her Doctor of Medicine and her Residency in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto. She works in midtown Toronto with a diverse family practice. Dr. Lindzon is a Lecturer at the University of Toronto and is an Associate at North York General Hospital where she teaches medical students at each stage of their medical career. Dr. Lindzon is also an Assessor for the College of Physicians and Surgeons where her high standards and ethics are applied to investigate cases in question. She is extremely excited to be part of the Manitou family!
Dr. Mikael Lavigne
Mikael is originally from Montreal, Quebec and completed medical school at McGill University, followed by pediatric residency training at the Hospital for Sick Children. He then completed a fellowship in Academic General Pediatrics at SickKids and a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. He primarily works at North York General Hospital as a hospitalist pediatrician where he cares for a range of patients, from newborns at delivery to patients seen in clinic, in the ER and on the inpatient ward.
