Summer 2020 Information Update

April 3, 2020
April 3, 2020 Heather

Dear Red Pine Family

We wanted to take a moment to update you on how the current COVID-19 situation is affecting Red Pine and our planning for camp.

No doubt, like us, you’re dreaming of being back at Red Pine this summer and in this time of high stress and uncertainty, picturing the view from the bluff and seeing children running off to play with friends goes a long way to calming the nerves. However, the unfortunate truth is that as things stand today, with the current State of Emergency declared in Ontario, we still do not know what camp will look like this summer. It’s our hope that the situation will resolve well and quickly enough for us to return to Golden Lake this summer.

While we don’t know how things will unfold, we do know that unless we plan for camp as usual there certainly won’t be any this summer, regardless of what happens in the world. And, after the events of this spring, we owe it to ourselves to attend camp if it is possible to do so safely. Relaxing and playing with friends is a sure cure for adults and children alike against the stress of these uncertain times.

If we are permitted by you and public authorities to take on the challenge of keeping campers safe in a period where the virus has not been totally contained, but regular life has resumed, we will spare no effort and resources to hold camp while implementing the very best medical advice. We managed something similar, and I hope you all agree effectively, in 2009 with H1N1. That situation was totally different but in one way the same: amidst a health crisis we took excellent care of our campers and staff and we welcome the opportunity to do that again if appropriate. To that end, we continue with preparations for the summer: assigning registrations, communicating with staff, reaching out to our partners, and planning for various contingencies.

We have discussed various potential outcomes for this summer, including cancelling camp altogether, operating a shorter summer season, and of course running the whole summer as normal. We have determined that we, like most camps in Ontario, can wait until May 31st to make a final decision on how to move forward this summer. This gives us just over two months to see how things unfold and what restrictions we are likely to face if we do run camp. Unless things change dramatically, we intend to wait until this date before making a decision.

We hope that you will also continue to plan for a summer at Red Pine. Having said all of that, we respect whatever decision you feel is best for your family. In the meantime, please reach out with questions, concerns or suggestions you may have. Our staff are working from home, but they can be reached by email or phone during regular office hours.

Best Regards,
Neil & Janet

Neil Knudsen, President – Red Pine Camp

Janet Cottreau, Executive Camp Director
janetcottreau@redpinecamp.org

To reach the camp office or the Business Manager
redpine@redpinecamp.org