COVID-19 & O-YA's Summer Day Camps

Details on how O-YA's Summer Day Camps will be affected by the Ontario Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Summer Camp Guidelines are provided after Camp descriptions.

2020 Summer Day Camps at O-YA!

August 2020 Camp 

Dates: August 24 - August 28
Location: Osgoode Youth Association; O-YA (5479 Osgoode Main Street, Osgoode)
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Grades: 2 - 6
Camp Cost: $225 per week*
Registration:  Please register through Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/august-2020-summer-camp-tickets-91077586513

*O-YA is committed to cost not being a barrier to program participation. If you, or anyone you know, would like to attend a program but find it challenging for financial reasons, please email nicole@o-ya.ca. We will gladly make arrangements that work for you.

Registration Form

If you have not been to an O-YA program before you will be required to fill out a registration form upon arrival at your first day of camp. 

COVID-19 & O-YA's Summer Day Camps

The Provincial Ministry of Health has released a set of Guidelines that all Ontario Summer Camps must follow during this time of COVID-19 restrictions. The full Guidelines can be found at: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/2019_summer_day_camps_guidance.pdf

After a careful reading of the Guidelines in consultation with O-YA’s Board of Directors, we have determined that O-YA will be able to offer our originally planned July and August Summer Day Camps – with some important changes.

There is a lot of information below about what O-YA won’t be able to do. But, there are still lots of fun things we CAN provide for Camp kids! O-YA Summer Youth Workers Carley, Lindsay & Joe are working hard to develop a creative program that kids will enjoy and have fun at.

As per the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Summer Camp Guidelines, O-YA has to make 5 important changes to our Camps that you need to be particularly aware of:

  1. All Summer Camps must consist of cohorts of no more than 10 individuals (including both staff and camp participants) who stay together throughout the duration of the program. Unfortunately, this means O-YA can no longer offer single day camp spaces. 
  2. O-YA is required to follow a number of new Health & Safety guidelines and Screening measures (highlighted below and detailed on our website) at our Summer Camps. Please read them carefully. 
  3. It’s important to note that O-YA’s July and August Summer Camps may be cancelled without prior notice during heat waves, in the event of a staff shortage, a Ministry of Health Guideline change or if there is a spike in COVID-19 cases. Last-minute cancellations will be communicated out to parents by email.
  4. In order to make Camps viable for O-YA, we will not be able to run Camps with less than 6 participants. We will let parents know by email 1 week in advance of Camp start if this minimum has not been met.
  5. Camp start and end times will be different this year. Summer Camp days will start at 9 am and end at 4 pm.

Big Picture

In the big picture, O-YA will be following 4 Pillars for our July and August Summer Camps.
  1. Ensure physical distancing of at least 2 meters for Camp participants and staff wherever possible.
  2. Require frequent hand washing.
  3. Adhere to a robust program and cleaning and disinfecting.
  4. Requiring staff and participants to wear fabric masks when physical distancing can’t be maintained (ie: to provide First Aid care if necessary).
 
Heath and Safety Guidelines

O-YA staff will ensure that COVID-19 infection prevention and control practices (including cleaning and disinfecting) are adhered to as per the Ministry of Health’s Summer Camp Guidelines.

O-YA staff will encourage physical distancing of at least 2 metres between camp participants by spreading camp participants out into different areas; spreading furniture, camp equipment, and activity stations out into different areas, using visual cues (e.g., signs, posters, floor markings, etc.) and incorporating more individual activities or activities that encourage more space between camp participants.

O-YA will not be permitted to offer field trips and activities requiring group transportation, or the preparing or serving of food. Campers will be asked to bring their own lunch, snacks and drinks, will sit at least 2 metres apart during lunchtime and will not be permitted to share food or drink.
Camps will focus on fun and creative physically-distanced sports, games and crafts this summer, with activities held outdoors whenever possible
Pick-up and drop-off of camp of camp participants will happen outside of O-YA.

Screening

All individuals, including camp participants, parents/guardians, staff, and visitors must be screened including daily temperature checks either at home prior to arrival or upon arrival at program setting prior to entry. O-YA must deny entry to any individual who has any of the symptoms outlined in the COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms on the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 website or who has come in close contact with a person with symptoms of or confirmed COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Camp participants who are ill will not be allowed to attend Summer Camp.
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O-YA will have protocols in place to notify parents/guardians if their camp participant begins to show symptoms of COVID-19 while in camp, including the need for immediate pick-up and an area to isolate the camp participant until pick-up.