LONDON, ONT. -- Summer camp is a place where friendships are born and memories are made.
Now that the province has given the green light, London Mayor Ed Holder says the city is planning to open summer day camps, with a lot of considerations in mind.
“There are a number of factors. Certainly the health of the kids and the employees, issues around physical distancing, issues around parents comfort level,” Holder says.
With thousands of children typically enrolled in city run summer day camps, Holder says the city is working hand in hand with the Middlesex-London Health Unit surrounding safety protocols.
“We are working with other health units to make sure we can all provide guidance that’s soundly grounded in research and evidence as possible,” says Dr. Chris Mackie, medical officer of health at the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
Mackie and his team are working with each camp organization on a needs basis when it comes to ensuring safety, organizations like The Boys and Girls Club of London.
Last summer alone the Boys and Girls Club has approximately 3,700 children registered for summer day camps, staff say they are now working to see how camps will look this summer.
“We know that we are relied upon for day camps and that’s going to be difficult because we obviously are going to have very limited spaces this year,” says CEO Chris Harvey. “We don’t know what that looks like of course but we very well may have to say no to some families too.”
Harvey says planning is still in the early stages as the organization also works on staffing and protocols, but he’s hopeful camp will resume in some shape and form.
“For us it’s an idea that yeah we are moving forward with planning but we need to see he details of what we can and can’t do and of course safety is always first and foremost.”
Many camps are in the planning stages right now and most are asking parents to keep checking the camp's websites for updates.
