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P.E.I. summer camps seeing many more families seek financial aid

More families than ever are asking for help covering the cost of sending their kids to overnight camp on P.E.I. this summer. Camp Seggie and Camp Abegweit say they're seeing double the number of requests compared to previous years. 

Families are also eager for chances for kids to unplug, camp officials say

Jackie Sharkey · CBC News ·
A man smiles in front of a summer camp playground
Simon Reid, the treasurer of Camp Seggie in Rice Point, P.E.I., says the families of about half of its enrolled campers are asking for some form of financial assistance. (CBC)

More P.E.I. families than ever are asking for help covering the cost of sending their kids to overnight camp this summer. 

Camp Seggie, Camp Abegweit and Camp Keir all told CBC News that the number of requests for financial assistance is much higher than in previous years. 

Both Camp Seggie and Camp Abegweit said twice as many families have asked for financial help in 2023, compared to 2022. That amounts to a third of all campers registered for the summer so far at Camp Seggie. 

"It's really mind-blowing," said Simon Reid, treasurer for Camp Seggie. "A lot of families just don't have the same money to be able to fork out hundreds of dollars to send their kid to camp for a week. 

"You want your kid to be able to be part of these activities and enjoy having the summer camp experience, and it seems inflation is likely the biggest issue right now."

A campfire ring in the middle of a grassy field.
Overnight camps are seeing a spike in interest for 2023. Organizers believe it comes as families look for more ways for kids to unplug and unwind. (Jackie Sharkey/CBC)

Inflation is also affecting the cost of running the camps. Reid says fees at Camp Seggie were raised to compensate. 

All three camps are faith-based and have reached out to congregations across the Island to pitch in.

In just one week, the United Church on PEI raised over $1,200 to help subsidize fees, said Alex Corbett, the executive director at Camp Abegweit.

The camps say they've also turned to corporate sponsors and individual donors.

Lots of demand for spots

Overall, enrolment is up at both Camp Abegweit and Camp Seggie, compared to pre-pandemic. 

Corbett said they're seeing their highest enrolment numbers in over a decade. He thinks that's probably because parents are eager to get their kids back to normal summer activities — and unplug a bit. 

"They want their kids off the devices. They're on their devices at home. They're on their devices at school," said Corbett. "So camp is really a great spot for them to remove themselves from technology and get that one-on-one connection with someone."

A man stands in front of a camp lodge front door.
Alex Corbett, executive director of Camp Abegweit, says so far the camp has received 20 requests for financial assistance, with more coming in nearly every day. (Jackie Sharkey/CBC)

Requests for financial assistance are made when campers register. Parents or guardians can ask for help with the entire cost, but many just need help with part of the fee. 

"We ask them to contribute what they can," said Corbett. "If they can't afford any part of it, that's okay. But we do ask them to try and contribute something and then we'll cover the rest."

Corrections

  • An earlier version of this story included an error in the name of one of the summer camps.
    Jun 16, 2023 12:15 PM AT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Sharkey

Journalist

Jackie Sharkey is the daytime radio news anchor for CBC News in her home province of P.E.I. She spent 10 years working as a producer, guest host and studio technician in Kitchener, Ont. and helped launch the station when it was created in 2013. She has also worked for CBC in Kelowna, B.C., Quebec City and Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

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