After two years of pandemic restrictions, Manitoba campground directors expected a tsunami of campers to sign up for a typical summer activity — overnight camping — but registration has been lower than expected, with some campgrounds operating at half capacity.
Some camps reduced the numbers themselves. The lack of properly certified personnel such as lifeguards and health workers has reduced the number of places available for some overnight camps.
“We have only been able to open as many places in the camp as we have staff. So we had to find staff first and then make sure we could get the kids in for the summer,” said Chris Buffington, executive director of Camp Arnes, in Interlake, Manitoba.
Buffington, who says campers are already on a waiting list, said the number of campers before the pandemic was four times what it is now. The camp is still seeking workers for nine job categories, including lifeguards, nurses and cab drivers, according to its website.
At least three camps said they had challenges securing the lifeguards and health workers needed to invite more campers.
“I usually have three lifeguards on my beach. Now that they have one, we have a lot of two-on-one swims where we only have 20 kids at a time, not a big group,” said Don Rowe, director of Gimli Bible Camp, which is also in Interlake.
Don Rowe, director of Gimli Bible Camp, said it takes several years to build up the staff for a camp. He said the pandemic has taken a serious toll on staff at the camp that will take years to correct. (Submitted by Don Rowe)
Roe said it takes several years to build up staff for a camp, and the pandemic has dealt a major blow to that staff that will take years to repair.
Rowe said his camp is probably at 40 percent capacity and they have enough cab drivers to work, but all of those staff members give 100 percent all the time.
“If this happens all summer, they will probably get tired. But again, the kids will have fun – the big thing is how much attention can we give them? How much relationship building can we do? Ro said.
Other travel plans also affect enrollment
Reduced capacity due to staffing is just one reason why fewer children in Manitoba are in camp this year. In some situations, there is room for campers, but principals aren’t sure why the kids didn’t show up.
The Manitoba Pioneer Camp, which is being held near Kenora, Ont., is about half full, though it was expected to be closer to 65 or 70 percent, said Neil Steward, the camp’s executive director.
“June is usually a big hit month where we see a number of campers sign up, and we just haven’t really seen that,” he said.
Steward said based on conversations he’s had with parents, there are two main reasons for the decreased registrations. The first was the fear of COVID-19.
“Some of them are like, you know, we’d just rather wait a little longer before we put our kids with a whole bunch of people,” Steward said.
Steward also said a number of other children were traveling to visit other family members they hadn’t seen in a while.
Several principals said the uncertainty at the beginning of the year about whether there would be summer camps or what the conditions would be caused them to open registrations later than usual and could affect enrollment.
Camp Massad turned away 16 campers at a cost of about $40,000 to $45,000 in revenue because they had not been vaccinated, said Daniel Sprintz, executive director of the camp, north of Winnipeg Beach.
Sprintz said that by the time the province lifted those pandemic restrictions, he had already turned away campers and parents who had already enrolled their children were expecting a camp where everyone would be vaccinated.
WATCH | Enrollment is growing, but many camp programs don’t have enough people applying:
Summer camps struggle with staff shortages
With the easing of pandemic restrictions, summer camp enrollment is increasing, but many programs don’t have enough people applying for positions, forcing some camps to close for the season.
Evan Andrew, director of brand revenue at Sport Manitoba, said his three-week summer camp, now in its fourth year, is already operating at 80 percent capacity. In previous years, it would have been full, he said.
Andrew said the camp did not raise its fee, but was forced to eliminate special early registration due to increased costs.
“We didn’t want to try to pass them on to the families, but at the same time, obviously [we’re] trying to break even or as close to that as a non-profit,” he said.
It’s not about money for everyone
Kim Scherger, executive director of the Manitoba Camping Association, said the drop in camping registrations this year is reflected in fewer camp grant applications, even though help is ready and waiting.
Kids who need money for camp can access it through the Sunshine Fund, which is administered by the Manitoba Camping Association. Scherger said demand this year is well below what they’ve seen before.
Kim Scherger, head of the Manitoba Camping Association, said camp registrations were great in March and April, but then slowed down. That’s good, she says, because many camps wouldn’t be able to find enough staff to run a full camp. (Submitted by Kim Scherger)
“In 2019, we sent 641 kids to camp for a week of summer camp, and that cost us about $225,000,” Scherger said.
It covered the cost of sending just over 100 children in 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic limited camp opportunities.
Although the Sunshine Fund was expecting a wave of applications this year, it did not happen.
“At the end of June, we were hovering around the 300 children we send to camp through the Sunshine Fund. And that amount was about $130,000 that we were spending through the fund,” Scherger said.
“So I guess part of my message here as well is that we still have funding for this year.”
Scherger said funding is still available for accredited camps listed on the Manitoba Camping Association website.
“We would really like to encourage parents to apply to us to access this funding,” she said.
The pandemic has dealt a severe blow to summer camps in Manitoba
After two years of pandemic restrictions, Manitoba campground directors expected a tsunami of campers to sign up for a typical summer activity — overnight camping — but registration has been lower than expected, with some campgrounds operating at half capacity.
Add Comment