Thread by @TorontoStar

“As a not for profit charity, we never earn very much money, just enough to survive.”

NEW from @RosaJSaba: Ontario’s summer camps lost millions last year — if they can’t open this summer, some say they will close for good torstar.co/Gl6j50EEfHt

Camp Kawartha is celebrating its 100th year in 2021. But this year may also be its last.

Because of the pandemic, Kawartha has been largely unable to operate. torstar.co/Gl6j50EEfHt

Summer camps like Kawartha are racking up deficits as they plan for a camp season that may not happen. Without more financial support, if they can’t open for a second year in a row, many may never open again, they say. torstar.co/Gl6j50EEfHt

Stu Saunders, executive director of Youth Leadership Camps Canada, was hoping that his camp’s 29th summer would be able to run as planned.

But the camp hasn’t opened to children since Oct. 2019, and Saunders estimates his camp has lost $2 million. torstar.co/Gl6j50EEfHt

The camp got the Ontario Small Business Support Grant twice, $40k total, a wage subsidy for a few year-round employees, the federal COVID-19 loans and the Regional Relief Fund.

But none of it comes close to making up the loss, Saunders said. torstar.co/Gl6j50EEfHt

“If we do not open again this summer, there’ll be even more camps that will not be able to survive," he said.

This is especially true for smaller camps, while larger camps owned by organizations like the YMCA will have an easier time, Saunders added. torstar.co/Gl6j50EEfHt