Canada’s summer camps grapple with staffing crunch as COVID-19 pandemic eases

Though health restrictions have lifted, some summer camp operators say they’re grappling with staffing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raf Choudhury, owner and founder of Baseline Sports, says he normally hires between 15 and 20 young adults to work at his summer camps in the Toronto region.

But he says so this season, he’s only managed to hire five people.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Choudhury says he feels the young adults he normally hires realized during the COVID-19 pandemic that they valued their summer leisure time and they’ve decided to work less or not at all this year.

Nick Georgiade, the director of Camp Temagami in northeastern Ontario, says staffing is a challenge every year, and he hasn’t had a tougher time finding people.

1:09 COVID-19 ‘has not left the stage,’ booster shots vital for updates: Theresa Tam

However, his canoeing camps require many courses and certifications that were halted during the pandemic, and that meant he had to start hiring and arranging training for his staff much earlier in the year.