CALEB NICKERSON
MANSFIELD et PONTEFRACT June 1, 2018
On June 1, a family gathered at Le Patro in Mansfield to dedicate the splash pad and a custom bench in the memory of Sheldon ‘CC’ Ostrom, a young man from Bryson who passed away suddenly on Aug. 2, 2017.
Sheldon’s father Eldon explained that his son had been diagnosed with autism (Asperger’s syndrome) at age two. He spent two decades attending the summer camp at Le Patro and it was his favourite place to be. He especially loved playing under the water mushroom at the splash pad.
The park provides a multitude of activities for youth, from water slides and pontoon boats to a petting zoo and climbing walls.
As fate would have it, Sheldon was at Le Patro playing mini-golf when he collapsed due to a fatal blood clot in both his lungs.
He was 27 years old.
Eldon expressed his deepest gratitude to Le Patro’s founder, Fr. Marc Frappier, for his dedication to local youth as well as the interest and concern he showed for Sheldon in particular.
“Father Marc will never refuse kids,” he said. “He, along with exceptional staff and countless volunteers strive [to] make kids’ lives happy and educational.”
When Sheldon turned 18, the official rules stated that he would no longer be able to attend the camp, because he was considered an adult.
“What they didn’t consider is that he had the mind of a happy young boy and loved to be at the Patro,” Eldon explained. “Fr. Marc told Sheldon he could go to the Patro for as many years as he wanted, despite his age and the system.”
The Ostroms opted to have memorial donations from Sheldon’s funeral go to Le Patro, and purchased a memory bench to sit in front of the splash pad.
When Frappier heard about their intentions, he offered to re-dedicate the entire splash pad in his memory, in time for the 2018 season.
In additon to Sheldon’s parents, his brother, sister-in-law and grandmother were also in attendance for the dedication, along with Frappier and Patro director Suzanne Dazé.
The bench, manufactured by Magnalum Inc. in Shawville, features two inset pictures of Sheldon, as well as cut-outs of his name and musical notes. Eldon said his son was incredibly passionate about country music and pointed out that one of the pictures features Sheldon standing centre stage at the Grand Ole Opry. The other shows him playing under the water mushroom, which now bears his name along with three puzzle pieces, the symbol for autism.
Eldon was beaming as he handed over the remainder of the funds, totaling $1,000, to Frappier to preserve and maintain the park in the future.
“We are so fortunate to have a place like the Patro in the Pontiac for kids to enjoy their summer vacation and to have Fr. Marc and his staff of volunteers to keep this going for kids for years to come,” he said. “This will help us keep Sheldon’s memory alive and living on forever.”
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