Without financial assistance, summer camps could close

Without financial assistance, summer camps could close

Some certified summer camps in the Outaouais say that if they don’t get financial assistance, they will have to close permanently, unless the government puts in place an emergency fund within the next few months. This is the case in the region of the Air-Eau-Bois outdoor base located in Denholm in the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau.

“The current government support measures are not suited to this sector of activity characterized by its seasonal aspect. It is impossible to fill the shortfall since the start of the pandemic. If we do not receive substantial help from the government, in a few months it will be the end of it. The main losers will be the children and families who will no longer be able to access these sites firmly anchored in the communities and offering unprecedented access to nature and the outdoors ”, according to Caroline Calvé, administrator of the Base de plein air Air-Eau-Bois.

Holiday camps are mostly self-financing during the summer, but the pandemic has forced their complete closure since March 2020. They are therefore deprived of income for a full year, having to pay fixed costs that may exceed 300 000 $ according to some. Certified vacation camps are therefore asking Minister Charest to open an emergency fund to help them pay 75% of their fixed costs, as the government has done for bars, restaurants and theaters, and thus, ensure a safe reopening next year.

The full interview with Caroline Calvé is available here.