Not a GoodBye

As seasons change, so too do the dreams and aspirations of our team members, no matter how much they love our Fircom Community and the land that our organization is situated on. At this time, we are preparing to say ‘see you later’ to two amazing individuals - Marissa Gilmour and Katinka Neumann.

Marissa has worked with Fircom for almost three years, and has proven herself to be a passionate, dedicated and inspiring leader who is committed to living and supporting the ongoing development of Fircom’s mission and values. She played an integral role in reimagining our operating model last spring, and she invested a lot of time and effort into researching COVID-19 guidelines and crafting our organization’s COVID-19-related policies and procedures so that we could ensure that our guests, staff and volunteers remained safe and healthy. Marissa’s greatest contributions, however, lies in her commitment to supporting the development of our summer camp and outdoor school programs. She has worked tirelessly, in collaboration with her team, to provide high quality camp and outdoor school experiences for children and youth that are empowering and inclusive, that encourage a meaningful connection with the natural world, and that provide children and youth an opportunity to develop new skills and a sense of belonging on this land and in our Fircom Community. Marissa’s last official day with us will be at the end of April. We wish you the very best, Marissa, as you transition to life as a student and pursue a Master’s degree in Social Work. Given your compassion for others, your natural ability to facilitate conversations, and your incredible critical thinking and active listening skills, we are certain that you will be very successful in your future career!

A Note From Marissa:

Dear Fircom Community


As I let the reality that I am stepping away from my work with Fircom sink in, I am grateful for the way the land at Fircom holds me, and I think holds many of us who love this place. This year I was able to spend a lot of time sitting, observing, and slowly building relationships with the trees, flowers, birds, and soil surrounding Fircom. Forests are great teachers when it comes to endings. In the woods behind canoe cove, there are many fallen trunks and dead snags who's time as breathing trees is over. As you walk closer however, you notice that mushrooms are fruiting along their fallen trunks, and small seedlings of alder and maple are growing in the new patches of sun. I think when our relationships and organizations are at their best, departures are like fallen trees. They offer nutrients and space for new energy and ideas. That is my hope as I say goodbye to this specific land and to all of you beautiful people who love this place.

It is time for me to take on new challenges and fall in love with new places. I hope to return to school to pursue a Masters in the fall, and am interested in pathways that include counselling, coaching, and land based education. If you see exciting opportunities that make you think of me, please add me on facebook and pass them along. I am very grateful to be held in your thoughts.

I have learned so much in my work with Fircom over the past three years. I am leaving with huge gratitude for the opportunity to be the Camp Manager for three years!
Thank you to all the campers, you always reminded me to laugh and play. To all the parents, thank you for trusting me with your children. To the staff, you made my job joyful and I will really miss you all.
I am so excited for the next decade at Fircom. There is energy and love strengthening important partnerships and a dedication to deeping and growing that I think is extremely exciting.
My parting wish for us all is that as we continue to adjust and adapt to changes, we remember to take moments to sit down, slow down, and let the land hold us wherever we are. It has helped me to feel both the grief of saying goodbye, and the joy of saying yes to new things.

With deep gratitude,
Marissa

Katinka joined our team last January, and was instrumental in marketing our Family Vacation Getaway model, as well as managing all of our registrations for - and inquiries about - family vacations and summer camp! Katinka demonstrates a passion for communications, and she has been such a great asset to our team when it comes to sharing our brand with the world and dreaming up some creative marketing ideas. She is both skilled and hard-working, and has been super supportive of our Leadership Team when it comes to all things administrative in nature. Katinka’s last day with us will be April 28, 2021. Katinka is graduating from university and has set her sight on moving to the Maritimes. We wish you the very best in what is sure to be a very bright and exciting future, Katinka!

A Note From Katinka:

What a wonderful year and a half it has been with Camp Fircom! 

I have grown so much personally and professionally alongside my supportive co-workers and friends. I would like to thank the Fircom community for welcoming me with open arms and thank the land for allowing me to reconnect with nature. My time living at camp last summer is something I will never forget; I will miss my daily swims and paddle boarding adventures with Marcella, and the seals I befriended in Canoe Cove, and the sense of peace that I got when sitting in the gazebo looking out at the world. I will miss all the Fircomites that I was able to connect with either in person, on the phone or through email.

The lessons I have learned and the Fircom spirit is something I will be carrying with me to my next adventure and beyond.

Change and uncertainty can be difficult to manage sometimes, but our team morale is high and we are continuing to develop meaningful and productive working relationships with one another. Everyone is working hard and thinking creatively about how we can financially sustain our organization during these tumultuous times, while at the same time continuing to grow our business, engage our community, enhance our partnerships and live our mission and values. Challenging, for sure, but our team is optimistic about Fircom’s future and we are excited to see where this journey (focused on the theme of ‘reimagining’) leads us ...    

With warm wishes for good health and a visit to Fircom sometime this year,

The Fircom Leadership Team