The city of Toronto is offering modified summer camps starting next month following the province’s announcement that day camps will be permitted to operate during stage two of reopening.
The summer camps are part of the city’s CampTO program, which replaces summer programs canceled last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May, the city canceled registration for city-run summer camps and recreation programs.
“The CampTO program will provide a high-quality camp experience for children aged six to 12,” Tory said.
“The program will offer a traditional day camp experiences, including dance and drama, music, arts and crafts and active games. In addition to camps offered at parks forestry and recreation locations, Camp TO will also be offered at six Toronto history museum sites and one of the city’s art centers.”
CampTO programs will be offered starting July 13.
The city said the programs will take into account health guidelines made in consultation with Toronto Public Health and are aligned with provincial health measures.
“My hope is that these modified camps are able to help support families with parents and caregivers who may be heading back to work as our city reopens families who have been kept inside for such a long stretch,” Tory said.
He also noted that the initiative will provide employment opportunities for young people.
Registration for CampTOwill take place beginning at 7 a.m. on June 24 and June 25. The city is advising residents to register online or through the phone as in-person registration will not be available.
Tory said CampTO is a critical piece of the city’s recovery and rebuild efforts.
“Summer camps are so important for so many of our kids, and I’m glad that it will be able to offer this experience this year, even in the midst of a pandemic to thousands of families,” Tory said.
“A lot of joy will be experienced in many households after this very long winter and spring.”
In addition to CampTO, the city also announced Wednesday SwimTO, a program that will speed up the opening of the city’s outdoor aquatic amenities.
Tory said they are now making plans and preparing the 300 city-run outdoor aquatic amenities with the expectation that Toronto will enter stage 2 as early as June 19.
“The swim TO plan represents an opportunity to ensure that all Torontonians can safely in many respects, but also within the context of public health, can safely access outdoor aquatic, recreation and cool down during hot summer temperatures as the province lifts its emergency orders and Toronto itself begins to reopen,” Tory said.
The Ford government permitted the reopening of malls, hair salons, barbers and spas, public pools, museums in some parts of the province as early as Friday.
However, Toronto and other municipalities within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area were not allowed to reopen additional businesses.
Tory noted the city’s 140 splash pads will be ready within a week once the province gives the green light, and outdoor pools and wading pools will follow shortly after.
As part of SwimTO, lifeguards will return to six of the city’s beaches on June 22, the city said. They will supervise each location daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The four Toronto Island Park beaches will open for swimming on July 1.
“So, the goal, when it comes to recreational access to water amenities, this summer is very simple: get everything ready so that we can open them up as fast and as safely as possible once we get the green light from the province with health, obviously being at the very top of the list,” Tory said.
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