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Vaccination Requirement Lifted

5/16/2022

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The Ontario Ministry has lifted all protocols for overnight camps with respect to COVID-19 and our direction is that recreational camps will operate as per the current legislation under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. After a thorough review, including consideration that children do not have to be vaccinated to attend school, the Kenesserie Camp Board of Directors has decided to remove the requirement that all campers be vaccinated to attend our camp in 2022.  We will continue to collect vaccination status during the registration process to aid in planning and we will continue to proceed with several protocols being put in place for this summer, e.g., screening, increased sanitizing and procedures if a camper develops COVID while at camp. Although restrictions have been lifted by the Ministry, campers are still welcome to wear a mask at camp if they wish. Campers should bring several masks to camp and additional masks will be made available for campers.
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COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

2/1/2022

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The health and safety of our campers, staff and volunteers are very important and for that reason all staff, volunteers and campers attending Kenesserie Camp in 2022 must be fully vaccinated. 
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Announcement for Summer 2021

5/18/2021

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Last night at Kenesserie Camp’s Board of Directors meeting the decision was made that we will not run our traditional camp programs this summer. This was a difficult decision because more than anything we want to have your kids back at camp. I know this may not be what you want to hear. Please know that this decision was the most difficult decision I have been a part of in my thirty plus years of summer camp and was not one that I or the board members made without great thought and consideration. 
I know many of you may have felt a sense of excitement and anticipation after Premier Ford’s Sunday announcement that the Ontario government will allow camps to open this summer. Government approval to open is just one factor in our decision-making process. For us the question has never been simply are we allowed to open, it’s been can we open safely for our campers, our staff and our community. The health and safety of our campers and staff is the most important factor. The additional level of risk that we would be asking our summer staff to shoulder was another key factor in our discussion. While the announcement was made on Sunday, the detailed guidance for the safe operation of camps has yet to be released, and we do not know when that will happen. The announcement offered no clarity on the guidelines that camps will be required to follow in order to operate camp this summer. The amount of time to properly prepare for a safe camp experience was the final factor that we considered. Our conversation included our belief that kids need camp and our desire to see camp filled with happy campers again. We want camp to happen, but not at all costs and not with an unacceptable level of risk. We are heartbroken about this but we will start working now for a fantastic summer in 2022. 
All is not lost for this summer though, as we are working out the details of Family Camping at Kenesserie in July & August. This will involve cabin rentals with some camp activities for families to experience in their cohort. This will be dependent on the provincial reopening guidelines. Watch for more details in the coming weeks about Family Camping at Kenesserie, leadership training opportunities for our older campers and other ways we will be connecting with our Kenesserie family. 
I want to finish by saying THANK YOU. You, our camper families, have been nothing short of spectacular with your support and encouragement during these last 14 months. We would not be able to make it through this without you - you folks are awesome!


With gratitude and love,


Dan Richards
Executive Director
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Planforcamp.ca - How you can help

4/14/2021

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Overnight summer camps across Ontario are still waiting for the green light 🚦 from the provincial government to open for campers this summer. The Ontario Camps Association (OCA) held an Online Campfire on April 12th that featured Dr. Ronald Cohn, SickKids CEO, interviews with campers and a roundtable discussion with some Association volunteers that are spearheading the work of getting camps allowed to open safely. 

We need your help to remind our provincial government that families want and children need camps to open this summer. Go to www.planforcamp.ca to find out how you can help. There is a quick history of the hard work that the OCA has been doing to plan for the safe reopening of camps and some suggestions of what you can do to remind the MPPs that this is an important issue for many people. 

 Thank you for your help. 
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Today's Stay @ Home Order

4/7/2021

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Does today's announcement impact our plans for the summer?

Short answer
No.

Long Answer 
We were well aware that a 3rd wave of the pandemic was coming. All models pointed to this. The rapid rise of the Variants of Concern was also predicted by many health experts. The Ontario Camps Association (OCA), of which Kenesserie Camp is an accredited member,  had been communicating to it's membership that April was going to be a difficult month.

We are still planning for camp and hopeful that in 12 weeks we will be in the middle of our staff training camp getting excited to host campers for the first time in 2 years. We are currently reviewing every aspect of our camp programs, policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all campers and staff this summer and to reduce the risk of COVID-19 at camp as much as possible. 

Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns or want to talk about the upcoming summer. 519.674.2497 or info@kenesserie.com

Dan
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Some of What We Know

4/1/2021

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Some of What We Know
  1. Overnight camps are still under a closure order. On May 19, 2020 overnight camps were closed for operation as children’s camps and that order has not been lifted. The OCA has been working closely with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on a plan to safely reopen camps for this summer. There is no set timeline for the lifting of the closure order but the hope is it will be lifted at some point in April.
  2. We are planning to operate at a reduced capacity of 50-60% this summer. 
  3. Cohorts, masking, social distancing, frequent handwashing and other Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions will be a part of daily life at camp this summer.  Campers and staff will be wearing masks at camp, spending the week with their cabin cohort (likely 8 campers and 2 camp staff), eating outside for most meals, and staying a safe distance from other cohorts. 
  4. Camper drop-off will look different and will involve a screening procedure. It will likely be a drive-thru drop-off with only the camper getting out of the car. 
  5. Daily health checks will be conducted for everyone at camp.
  6. Campers will need to remain at camp for the duration of their camp session unless they are departing early. Please choose a camp session that doesn’t conflict with an appointment or game. Leaving and returning this within the same session will not be an option this summer. 
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    Kenesserie Camp

    New posts every Wednesday updating our camper families on how things will work this summer. 

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  • Home
  • Summer Camp
    • The Kenesserie Experience >
      • FAQ
      • Sample Menu
      • A Typical Day
      • What to Bring
    • Dates and Rates
    • Working at Camp
    • Black Lives Matter
    • Wish List
  • Celebration Weekend
    • OPENING CAMPFIRE
    • WALK-A-THON
    • OPEN HOUSE
  • Donate Now
    • Kenesserie's Campfire Circle
  • Rentals
    • School Groups
    • Our Facilities
  • Contact Us
  • Camp Updates