An initiative that empowers girls and young women to pursue a career in firefighting is expanding to offer a series of all-Indigenous programs.
Every year Camp Molly provides an opportunity for participants to meet and engage with strong female role models through a free four-day firefighting training camp.
Last year Camp Molly was offered at six different locations including one in Trenton and this year that has expanded to 12 to include four all-Indigenous programs with one being in Kingston.
"We are working really hard to make sure that we are inclusive and that we provide this opportunity because some of the reserves don't have fire departments," said Kingston and former Belleville fire chief Monique Belair. "It's our way of providing additional public education on how to reduce fires in their homes."
In Northern Quebec, Belair said there will be a transfer of knowledge ceremony three days before the camp. They will meet the band council, youth council and the Fire Chief. They will participate in hunting, fishing, and bead-making and learn the significance of the Cree language. They will also visit a former residential school.
"It's going to be true reconciliation and that's what they have asked from us for true reconciliation before the start of the camp," Belair explained. It's going to be very traditional and respectful."
There will be a female Elder participating at the camps and the girls will wear the traditional ribbon skirts of the Indigenous People at their graduation ceremonies.
Jen Keller, 18 and Corrie Pearson, 20 said they are excited to volunteer to help see this opportunity explored in Indigenous communities.
"It's great that there are multiple camps that give Indigenous girls like me the same opportunity that I had," expressed Keller. "Fire fighting is an underrepresented career for our communities. It's nice to be able to see this representation come to these communities and have firefighting being encouraged in females, especially young females."
With the program being expanded to Indigenous communities in Quebec and Saskatchewan, Pearson said she hopes this will invoke change on her reserve in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
"I'm hoping it can go from a volunteer department to a full-time department because it would be awesome to do a full-time job serving my community and all of the people in it as well as staying close to culture and tradition," she stated.
Growing up in Belleville, Keller always knew she wanted to become a firefighter however not knowing anyone in the field, the only exposure she had was through the media which presented firefighting as a male-dominated industry.
Pearson agreed there weren't any female firefighting influences to look up to in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, as the volunteer department is composed of men.
But that changed when they arrived at Camp Molly in Trenton in 2022 and met female firefighters for the first time.
"That was really empowering to see," Keller stated. "Camp Molly changed my life. It set me off on my career path. Now I am in school at Durham College for firefighting and it wouldn't have been possible without Camp Molly."
The experience made her realize she could do it.
"This is actually a possibility. It doesn't have to be a dream. I can follow through with this and it's led me to where I am today which is hopefully becoming a full-time firefighter."
Now Keller is filled with a sense of pride and empowerment that she gets to travel the country this summer helping others challenge themselves and change the way they see themselves.
"I appreciate that I get to be seen as somebody who can give this representation to other women. It feels really nice to be able to see that representation that I saw in somebody else once."
Similar to Keller's story, the Camp Molly experience helped build Pearson's confidence and proved she has what it takes to become a firefighter as she works to become an incident safety officer.
"It showed me that I could be a firefighter and go through the different skills and training in a pre-service program. It actually helped me feel less nervous and scared to go into my pre service program.
The knowledge she gained at Camp Molly helped "put her above" her fellow College students because it didn't take her as long to understand some concepts or as many attempts to do it the right way.
Camp Molly offers fire suppression, auto extrication, communications, fire prevention, fire investigations, public education, media relations, medical, forcible entry and firefighter survival training. Female police officers and paramedics also speak to the campers to provide insight into their careers as well.
The opportunity also opened Hollie Phillips' eyes to how much the fire department does when it comes to providing medical services and responding to motor vehicle collisions.
"They gave us a lot of hands-on experience and let us try a lot of equipment like the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus," the 19-year-old from Shannonville described. "It got me really excited about my future and what I could do."
They used hose lines, and hydrants to extinguish fires.
"Doing that stuff really brings confidence especially when you are being supported the entire time by strong women who want you to do well and enjoy your time."
Phillips recently graduated from the pre-service program at Fleming College and spent last year fighting wildfires in Dryden with Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry as she aims to become a fulltime firefighter.
Even if participants never become firefighters, Belair said she is more than okay with that.
"If we change the way these young girls are feeling and how other people are making them feel then we have done our job for Camp Molly," she said.
While there won't be a Camp Molly in Quinte this year, Belair welcomes those interested to apply to locations throughout Ontario.
For more on Camp Molly or to register click here.