The Municipality of Clarington says it has made the “difficult” decision to cancel its summer camps. Clarington is also suspending all indoor facility rental permits until at least June 28.
“Based on all the information from the province and public health, it’s clear our current camps cannot proceed as planned. With this decision today [May 21], we can begin to issue full refunds to all registrants,” said George Acorn, Director of Community Services.
Moving forward, the municipality will follow Ontario’s lead and wait for public health guidance to see if camps can proceed. Clarington is working on a variety of scenarios to create some programs that are modified to include physical distancing and strict health and safety protocols to keep children healthy and safe, said a municipal media statement.
Any modified programs created will inevitably reduce the number of camp spots available as we ensure physical distancing and limit the ratio of campers to staff members. Clarington is also looking at implementing strict hygiene and sanitation protocols that include instructions on the frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces. All plans will be in place, ready for the provincial and public health approval to proceed, it said.
“As Premier Doug Ford stated on May 19, nothing is more important than protecting our kids. The health and safety of all program participants have always been a priority in Clarington. As we create plans for running programs in our current Covid-19 environment, nothing is more important than creating a safe space where parents can leave their kids, knowing that they will be protected. We will take all necessary precautions and safety measures to keep everyone healthy and safe,” added Director Acorn.
The municipality said it will continue to monitor this evolving situation, and update residents on plans for possible summer recreation programming and any opportunities for modified camp programs that may move forward.
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