A summer camp for kids with life-threatening and chronic illnesses is among the many businesses struggling to find workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Zajac Ranch in Mission, B.C., is having difficulties filling 10 of its lead positions.
Each year, the camp welcomes around 500 kids with various medical conditions to enjoy different games and activities.
This year will be its first time opening since COVID and still, key roles are yet to be filled.
“I think everybody has experienced some shortage of workers. But this year, in particular, has been a challenge for us,” said president Carmen Zajac.
The camp especially needs to fill the “critical roles” of director and assistant director, she added, otherwise it made have to accept fewer children.
“We need to find these people because we need to run this camp. The kids are looking forward to it. The families are counting on it. We’ve got the kids all registered,” Zajac told Global News.
Jim Lanctot, a parent, said the camp has been a life-changing place for his son and a lack of staffing would be “a massive disappointment.”
“You wouldn’t believe how much Jordan enjoys it and how he, in his own way, vocalizes when he gets home how important the ranch is to him and the experiences that he has had,” said Jim.
The camp’s board of directors hopes to fill the 10 vacancies by June.
-With files from Kamil Karamali