Our History

Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador has a long, rich history of service to the community in our province, dating back to 1937 when the then Rotary Sunshine Camp Association was formed with a mandate of establishing a summer camp for children. The camp opened soon thereafter and operated under the auspices of the Association providing a summer camp experience first to underprivileged children and then in 1954, with the onset of the polio epidemic, to children with physical disabilities.

The Association expanded its programming from summer camps to a full range of rehabilitation services and was renamed the Newfoundland Society for the Care of Crippled Children and Adults in 1959 and then the Newfoundland Society for the Physically Disabled in 1988. From 1954 to 1995 the Society also operated the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre providing services to an active list of 1100 children province wide. In 1995 the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s assumed governance of the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre and the Newfoundland Society for the Physically Disabled shifted its mandate and emphasis to vocational training for young adults with physical disabilities, and provision of equipment and recreational programming including the Society’s original program – summer camps.

Throughout the Society’s history the organization has held the provincial license for both Easter Seals and March of Dimes. The Easter Seals license is dedicated to raising funds for children with disabilities; the March of Dimes license is dedicated to adults. In 2004, in honour of the historic significance and spirit of triumph that the Easter Seals name embodies and in recognition of the Society’s shifting emphasis to children’s programming, the Newfoundland Society for the Physically Disabled was officially renamed to simply, Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador.

Easter Seals Today

Our Vision
Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador envisions a province where all children and youth with physical disabilities are able to experience full, active and healthy childhoods and grow to reach their full individual potentials.

Our Mission
Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador is a charitable organization which is dedicated to maximizing the abilities and enhancing the lives of children and youth with physical disabilities through recreational, social and other therapeutic programs, direct assistance, education and advocacy.

Today Easter Seals prides itself on providing the finest programming for children with physical disabilities. The focus is on four areas of programming: