Future of summer camps uncertain during COVID-19 pandemic

MONTREAL (CITYNEWS) – Roasting marshmallows by a campfire, swimming in a lake, going for hikes with friends – those typical summer camp activities may be on hold this year.

While Quebec is hoping to allow the opening of day camps and sleepaway camps by late June or early July, parents, campers and the Quebec Camp Association are still waiting for clear health guidelines from the province.

“We also need to say, can we adapt to this new reality even if it’s a short-term reality,” said Shauna Joyce, executive director of Camp Amy Molson. “And so many camps are considering going virtual this summer.”

Classic camp activities like swimming in the pool, canoeing outdoors or sleeping in tents all require kids to band together – something social distancing restrictions have been trying to prevent for the last two months.

Summer and sleepaway camps are trying to find new ways to adapt this season as COVID-19 continues to spread in the province.

The sleepaway camp Amy Molson is currently offering virtual campfires and hang-out sessions as staff waits for the government to decide their fate.

“The large majority of camps earn their income for the whole year in two months,” said Joyce. “So if we lose those two months, we have to wait a whole other year financially to recover. So the impact on our industry is enormous.”

Parents will also need to determine if they’re comfortable sending their kids to day camp or sleepaway camp, even if the government gives the green light.

In one household in Montreal – the hardest-hit city in Quebec – parents can’t agree on the best course of action.

“I think I’m a little more leaning to sending the kids back, depending on how the structure is going to be,” said Shauneen Mc Nair-Birnie, a mother of two daughters.

The girls’ father, Patrick Birnie, still believes it’s too early: “These are our future. We can’t risk anything. We can’t risk them for anything.”

If camps do not open this summer, the Quebec Camp Association says parents who have already paid for this season will be allowed different refund options, including deferring this year’s payment to next summer.