Over 2,000 Quebec summer camps are not certified, association says

Minimum safety requirements must be established to run a day or summer camp, says the Association des camps du Québec, which has identified nearly 2,130 organizations that are not adhering to one of its standards programs as summer approaches.

With the arrival of summer in the province, some parents begin their quest to find a camp to keep their children occupied during the summer season. However, it’s important to be extra vigilant in your choice of organization, as anyone can open a camp in Quebec, in the absence of a required operating permit.

Faced with this situation, the Association des camps du Québec and the provincial government have decided to launch a major census to obtain an accurate picture of the supply.

“We’ve already identified 2,130 organizations that weren’t listed or weren’t part of one of our standards programs. It’s a huge number,” explained Éric Beauchemin, the organization’s general manager.

He would like to see minimum requirements met by all camps in the province in order to appear in a directory that would certify these organizations. In addition to criminal record checks, which will be introduced with Bill 45, Beauchemin would like to see supervision ratios introduced, and staff age and emergency measures training closely monitored.

“We’re not talking about the quality of programs, but we do want to secure the quality of safety in the supervision of young people,” he said, adding that camps not certified by the organization are not necessarily problematic, as some still meet safety standards.

In 1961, the Association des camps du Québec created a certification program for vacation camps with accommodation. It was expanded in 1992 to include day camps. However, certification is voluntary for operators.

A helping hand

While the organization would have preferred regulations to be put in place, Beauchemin feels that the arrival of a directory of camps that comply with certain standards – as proposed by the government – is a good starting point.

“The fact that we’ve identified them will enable us to communicate with them, because the next step is to find out what they already have in terms of minimum requirements, so that we can set up support programs for these organizations,” he says.

“On the contrary, we want to secure existing spaces, because we know that in many regions of Quebec, there is an issue of space and accessibility to day camps,” he insisted.

While he acknowledges that the directory will not see the light of day by this summer, the director of the Association des camps du Québec believes that time will be an ally in making it a reference.

“Once as many organizations as possible have joined the directory, the time will probably come to implement a regulation that can be applied by a majority of these organizations,” he explains.

In the meantime, Beauchemin reminds us that parents can refer to the Cadre de référence pour les camps de jour municipaux and the organization’s certification program. These two programs include over 50 standards that must be met to operate a camp.

For those who don’t have this certification, he suggests that parents question camp organizers about staff age, training and supervision ratios that are prescribed, as well as background checks.

“We have to ask these questions because a lot of families in Quebec take it for granted that it’s regulated, that there’s a law that covers it, when it’s not. It’s really voluntary. We don’t think these organizations are malicious. Sometimes, however, the concern for safety may not be optimal in 2025,” he added.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews