More than 2,000 Quebec summer camps are not certified: association

More than 2,000 Quebec summer camps are not properly certified, according to the Quebec Camps Association.

Minimum safety requirements must be established to run a day or holiday camp, says the Quebec Camps Association, which has identified nearly 2,130 organizations that are not adhering to one of its standards programs as summer approaches.

The summer months are upon us, and with them begins many parents’ quest to find a camp to occupy their offspring during the summer season. However, it’s important to be extra vigilant in choosing an organization, as anyone can open a camp in Quebec, in the absence of the required operating licence.

Faced with this situation, the Quebec Camps Association and the provincial government have decided to launch a major census to get an accurate picture of what’s on offer.

“We’ve already identified 2,130 organizations that weren’t listed or weren’t part of one of our standards programs. That’s a huge number,” explained managing director Éric Beauchemin.

He would like all camps in the province to meet minimum requirements in order to appear in a directory that would certify the organizations. In addition to criminal record checks, which will be introduced with Bill 45, Beauchemin would like to see supervision ratios introduced and the age of staff and their training in emergency measures closely monitored.

“We’re not talking about the quality of the programs, but we want to ensure the quality of safety in the supervision of young people,” he said, adding that camps not certified by the organization are not necessarily problematic, as some still comply with safety standards.

The association set up a certification program for holiday camps with accommodation in 1961. It was extended in 1992 to include day camps. However, certification is voluntary for operators.

A helping hand

While the organization would have preferred regulations to be put in place, Beauchemin believes that the arrival of a directory of camps that comply with certain standards -- as proposed by the government -- is a good starting point.

“The fact that we have identified them will enable us to communicate with them, because the next step is to find out what they already have in terms of minimum requirements so that we can put in place support programs for these organizations,” he said.

“Our objective is not at all to close places, but, on the contrary, to secure existing ones, because we know that there is an issue of space and accessibility to day camps in several regions of Quebec,” he insisted.

While he acknowledges that the directory will not see the light of day by this summer, the association’s director believes that time will be an ally in making it a benchmark.

“Once as many organisations as possible have signed up to the directory, the time will probably have come to introduce regulations that could be applied by the majority of these organizations,” he said.

In the meantime, Beauchemin pointed out that parents can refer to the Cadre de référence pour les camps de jour municipaux and the organization’s certification program. These two programs contain more than 50 standards that must be met in order to operate a camp.

For those who don’t have this certification, he suggests that parents ask the camp organizers about the age of the staff, their training and the prescribed supervision ratios, as well as background checks.

“We have to ask these questions because a lot of families in Quebec take it for granted that it’s regulated, that there’s a law covering it, when that’s not the case. It’s really voluntary. We don’t think these organizations are malicious. Sometimes, however, the concern for safety may not be optimal in 2025,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 27, 2025.