The count was at two last night, but a third camp closure was confirmed this morning. In a letter to parents on Monday, the director of Camp Ouareau in the Lanaudière region said all 150 campers should be sent home on Tuesday after seven cases of the virus were recorded at the camp. “We are extremely sad that it has come to this,” Jacqui Raill wrote. “This decision was not taken lightly.” Rail said she expects additional cases may be identified in the coming days. The camp will reopen on July 13. It was supposed to be a return to normal for summer camps this year, as all were closed in summer 2020 and some did not open in 2021. The Association des camps du Québec (ACQ) has identified at least two other closed camps in the province and says there may be more. The club does not name the camps.
The decision is “absurd,” says the parent
The closure comes as a headache and disappointment to some parents, many of whom plan their summers around their child’s stay at camp. “Seven cases doesn’t seem like a lot to close a camp,” said Emmanuelle Lamarre-Cliche, who rearranged her day to pick up her daughters from Camp Ouareau today. He called the situation “absolutely ridiculous” and the decision “absurd” when almost all health measures in Quebec have been lifted and when “there are people crowding restaurants and theaters.” She said it’s also a shame for her children, who have been dealing with the limitations of COVID-19 for the past two years. “They wore masks to class, homeschooled, put aside their social lives and extracurricular activities. They finally got a chance to get some fresh air and have fun with friends,” he said.
The camp club is asking for clarity
In her letter to parents, Raill said the decision to close the camp was made following advice from the area’s local health board. However, public health authorities say they did not make that recommendation. “We have been informed of the closure of the camp,” CISSS Lanaudière spokeswoman Pascale Lamy said. “The complete closure of Camp Ouareau remains a decision for camp management.” According to the province’s camping association, there are no clear guidelines for deciding to close a camp due to an outbreak. On Monday, ACQ executive director Eric Beauchemin requested a meeting with Quebec’s health ministry to clarify the rules. “We have already experienced outbreaks of gastroenteritis, before there was COVID. It is possible to maintain operations in a context like this. We have to see with public health how far we can go and how much room we have,” he said. Beauchemin said the camps are following COVID-19 guidelines, such as social distancing, limiting the number of people per accommodation unit to 10, and favoring outdoor activities.
Cases between consultants
According to the ACQ, the cases of COVID-19 were traced to consultants. But one missing counselor can deprive a dozen young people of supervision, Beauchemin says. “It’s a headache for the organizations. If we are not able to maintain the predicted [counsellor to child] proportions, we are in a situation where we must stop the operations of the camp.’ The labor shortage affecting the camps further complicates the situation as replacements become scarce. As for Quebec day camps, there are none closed at this time.
