Tears and disbelief after sudden closure of Quebec camp for autistic people

Jean-Sébastien Roy is busy searching for a new camp for his 16-year-old daughter following the closure of Camp O-Carrefour on Île d'Orléans — something he says came "totally out of the blue."

His daughter, who is autistic and nonverbal, spent a few weeks at the camp outside Quebec City each summer and visited on weekends throughout the school year.

For over a decade, the site welcomed autistic children and adults and those with intellectual disabilities, but now, it will be put up for sale in the fall by its owner.

About 90 children and adults were registered for the day camp just this summer. Every other weekend, the camp also welcomed nine to 11 beneficiaries for respite care — offering caregivers a break from their duties. All these families will now have to find a plan B this summer.

Roy, who says he was at the camp just last weekend with his daughter, says the closure left him in disbelief — and the goodbyes were emotional.

"They were in tears," he said. "They've been so nice and so good to my daughter.

"It was good for her mental health and she really enjoyed this place."

Difficult to recruit specialized staff, says general manager

The last campers left the grounds on April 13. Marie-Claude Paré, the general manager of Patro Roc-Amadour, which owns the camp, says closing it was a difficult decision, but one that was carefully considered over the past five years.

A number of factors contributed to the decision, including difficulty recruiting specialized staff to maintain a ratio of one counsellor per beneficiary, she says.

Maintenance on the camp's grounds was also a factor. To generate revenue, she says they even considered setting up a campsite — something that was not possible because of the agricultural zoning.

The closure is final, Paré says, adding that "even if we had a big donation today, we're going to have the same [problems] next year and the year after that."

Roy says this closure shows the fragility of the system. Without a solution, he and his partner likely won't be able to take their holidays at the same time, he says, as one of them will have to stay at home to look after their daughter.

With plans to meet with his MNA on Monday, during Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, Roy says his main objective is to raise awareness among elected officials of the daily challenges.

"It's very sad,' said Lili Plourde, executive director of the Fédération québécoise de l'autisme.

She says the closure illustrates broader problems in the service offerings for people on the spectrum. Organizations offering respite care must have specialized and trained staff, but have to compete with the health network to recruit students or seasonal employees in the summer, she said.

"It's across the province. There are major difficulties in recruiting staff, and also a lack of funding for community organizations offering respite services,' she said.

"It requires more funding from the government."

In an emailed statement, the office of Quebec's minister responsible for sports and recreation says the government funds the financial assistance program for access to summer camps. Camp O-Carrefour was listed among the dozens of recipients across the province.