Summer camps face staff shortages

Though health restrictions have lifted and demand has returned, summer camp operators across the country say they're grappling with staffing issues driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Craig Douglas, executive director of Timberline Ranch in Maple Ridge, B.C., said Saturday it was harder to hire staff this year than in any of the previous 16 years he's been with the organization.

Douglas, also the vice-president of the British Columbia Camps Association, said Timberline isn't alone: many camp operators have been forced to cut programs or accept fewer campers because they can't find enough people to work.

“The end result, unfortunately, is that fewer kids may get to go to camp this summer,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many camps to shut down completely in 2020, and then operate under tight restrictions last summer. This year, with health restrictions all but gone, operators were looking forward to a return to normal, and in the case of private camps, to begin recouping losses, Douglas said.

But the shutdowns cut off a key source of staff for many camps, he added. Campers aging out of summer programs will often return in the next few years to work as counsellors, and operators rely on that pipeline, he said. The COVID-19 pandemic broke that link in the chain.

Restaurants and retail stores are also struggling to find employees, he said, which means would- be camp counsellors have a myriad of summer jobs to choose from.

Timberline, which is a charity, has increased salaries, shortened the work week and set up several staff activities and perks in an effort to attract workers, Douglas said. The camp normally employs about 80 people. With staff training beginning Friday, he said the organization is still missing about five key people.

In Ontario, Raf Choudhury is also scrambling to find staff for his summer camps at Baseline Sports in the north Toronto region. Choudhury normally hires 15-20 people each summer, but this year, he's only been able to hire five so far.

“I feel like there's more of a demand, yet we can't keep up with the demand because of staffing issues,” Choudhury said.

“Even if I wanted to expand and go to more locations, it's not feasible at the moment.”

Choudhury also hires young people — typically ages 18-20 — to oversee his three outdoor sports camps. After two years of a global pandemic, they seem to have other priorities, he said.

“I think people are realizing that there's more out there to do and they're willing to sacrifice work for it,” he said.

Nick Georgiade, the director of Camp Temagami in northeastern Ontario, said staffing is a challenge for him every year.