Cameras ‘inadvertently’ livestreamed youth camps in Waterloo, Cambridge and Kitchener

A photo from LiveBarn's website. (Source: livebarn.com)

City officials for Waterloo and Cambridge say cameras used to livestream sporting events were active – without their knowledge – during summer camp programs.

The equipment is owned and operated by LiveBarn Inc., as part of their streaming partnership with the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.

City staff said they were notified Wednesday morning that cameras at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex were active and streaming. The LiveBarn cameras, they added, were only supposed to be used during games for the Waterloo Minor Hockey Association and accessible through a subscription.

“Upon notification of the livestream, the campers were moved out of the arena and staff unplugged the cameras to disable them,” the city said in a media release. “LiveBarn has since blocked access to any online video. City of Waterloo staff are working with LiveBarn to determine how the streaming was initiated, and how long it was on for. The LiveBarn cameras at all City of Waterloo arenas will remain unplugged and disabled until more information is available.”

The city said summer camps were held on the arena floor at the Albert McCormick Community Centre, but they did not know if the LiveBarn cameras were active. Families, they added, have been notified of the issue.

“City of Waterloo staff have learned that unscheduled livestreaming has also occurred at locations in other cities where LiveBarn cameras are installed,” the statement continued.

The City of Cambridge confirmed Thursday the cameras were “inadvertently” livestreaming children participating in summer camp programs at the Hespeler Arena, Dickson Arena and Cambridge Sports Park. They were also active at facility ice pads.

“Once the cameras were determined to be operational, streaming service was immediately discontinued and notice is being provided to parents of children enrolled in summer camp and anyone who may have been captured on the livestream,” the city said in a media release. “All LiveBarn cameras have now been turned off in city owned facilities.”

Cambridge also promised, like Waterloo, to work with LiveBarn to determine the timeline of events and how to prevent it from happening again.

“We sincerely apologize for the oversight, regret that this issue has caused concern or confusion by those impacted and are committed to correcting the issue,” they added.

The City of Kitchener said they were notified on July 22 that LiveBarn cameras at the Lions Arena and Grand River Arena were “inadvertently streaming and recording off-schedule” since April 14.

“As a result, recent city summer camps in Lions and Grand River arenas were recorded and streamed,” they said in a media release. “City staff have proactively reached out to parents and guardians of camp participants about this incident. Upon learning of the incident, the city took immediate action to move all LiveBarn cameras offline, and these cameras will remain offline while the city continues to investigate the issue.”

Those cameras, they added, can be found in all city-owned arenas except the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

“Cameras capture ice surfaces only and do not record any other areas in Kitchener facilities,” the city’s statement said. “We take the privacy of residents seriously. A thorough review of third-party owned streaming services in city facilities is being conducted.”

All three cities reported the incidents to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

The IPC said they will look into any potential privacy breach, whether it was contained, whether proper notice was shared with any affected individuals, whether any correction action was taken to address the breach, and whether safeguards were put in place to mitigate similar risks.

“Private sector organizations, such as LiveBarn Inc., may be subject to federal privacy laws overseen by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada,” the IPC concluded.

LiveBarn also sent a response to CTV News.

The Region of Waterloo is comprised of Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge and four townships. CTV News also reached out to the townships to find out if they use LiveBarn cameras.

North Dumfries

The Township of North Dumfries, meanwhile, confirmed LiveBarn have been used during games for the Ayr Rockets.

“The cameras located within the facility are not actively streaming at this time and have not been since June 12, 2025,” they wrote in a media release Thursday, adding that no township-run summer camp programs were held on the arena floor.

North Dumfries also promised to follow up with LiveBarn to ensure no streaming occurred “without appropriate authorization.”

Township of Woolwich

The Township of Woolwich said LiveBarn cameras are currently installed at both the Woolwich Memorial Centre and the St. Jacobs Arena.

“These cameras have not been activated and are offline, as there are several operational and administrative matters still being addressed prior to activation,” they said.

Township of Wellesley

Officials for the Township of Wellesley said they were not aware of any LiveBarn cameras in the community.

Township of Wilmot

The Township of Wilmot said there are cameras at the Wilmot Recreation Complex but they “have been disabled since May.”

“The technology is not affiliated with LiveBarn,” they added.

What is LiveBarn?

LiveBarn, founded in 2015, has its headquarters in Montreal. It describes itself as the “industry leader in youth and amateur sports broadcasting” with more than 4,000 livestreaming sites across North America.

“LiveBarn offers live and on-demand replays of hockey, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, swimming and gymnastics events,” their website said.

As of Thursday morning, LiveBarn cameras throughout the Region of Waterloo were inaccessible or blacked out on the company’s website.