Summer Camps come back to life
Kawanis camp was silenced last year because of the pandemic but is full of life after reopening last weekend.
“It was a lot of work to open up when you're closed for a year and a half,” said camp fundraising chair Dan Invararity.
Kawanis has two cohorts running this week for a total of 40 campers. Invararity says the camp is expanding to three cohorts and 60 people next week.
Unfortunately, camp started late this summer which created a backlog.
“We already have kids we’ve had to turn down which we’ve never had to do before,” he said.
The timeless experience has been altered to accommodate public health guidance.
“We have to be ready for anything so we have so many mitigation techniques we've put in place with the cohorting of our campers, cohorting of our staff to do everything we can to deliver as much of a high camp experience as we normally do,” said Angelo Ciardella, the camp’s first responder.
He says staff and campers are actively screened daily. Temperature check are done regularly.
High touch surfaces like door knobs, playgrounds and bathrooms are being disinfected to keep campers safe.
There are 11 campers and one councilor per cabin. Two Cabins make up a Cohort that stays together for the duration of the camp, no mask required.
“I got to know a lot of people a lot better than I think I would have if I got to go with other people all the time,” said first time camper Blain Dutot.
Campers are not required to wear masks all the time but do have to wear them when they are interacting in an activity with the other cohort.
Camp counselor Ugo Madu says the camp modifications have taken some getting to.
“Our evening programs and rotations are a little different now because of the restrictions,” Madu says. “We have to social distance when we're with the other cohorts as well as wear a mask when we're having dinner when you're standing up.”
Ciardella chuckled when asked if he and other staff members sometime feel like rule enforcers.
“It's not much unlike other summers where we have to constantly monitor the children. It's just in a different light now,” he said.
With a COVID safety first mentality, camps might be seen in a different light this year, but at least that light isn't coming from a screen.
“All I want is just to have fun,” said first time camper Adalynn Russell who is not miffed by the camp guidelines.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.