OPEN SUMMER CAMP

Thankfully the death toll from the Wuhan virus has been much less than the public health experts predicted.

There has been a real problem in seniors homes, where 82% of all virus deaths have occurred in Canada.

But amidst that bad news, there’s a hopeful statistic: not a single Canadian under age 20 has died from the virus.

Not one!

So why is Doug Ford considering BANNING summer camp for kids?

Tens of thousands of kids look forward to summer camp — both day camps and sleepover camps. 

It’s bad enough that school has been cancelled. But now that we’ve all “flattened the curve”, why are we flattening businesses like summer camps? Why are we flattening family plans?

Summer camps aren’t just about fun and making friends. They’re also an important part of the economy, and a great source of jobs for teenagers to be camp counsellors. Banning camps would put much of that great industry out of business.

But worse than that: what would thousands of children and teenagers do all summer? All the playgrounds have been closed. Should kids just stay at home watching Netflix and playing video games? Or play in the streets?

How is that healthy?

There’s another angle here too: summer camps, including many sleepover camps, are for children of all backgrounds. Not everyone can afford a fancy country home at the lake, like many of the opinion elite do. Their kids don’t need summer camps, because they already have their own private summer getaways in the great outdoors. What about those who don’t?

I’m worried that Doug Ford has lost touch with ordinary people — families, kids, and also summer camps, many of which are mom-and-pop operations, and have to earn their entire living during the summer season. Keeping camps closed would destroy them.

So let’s help Doug Ford do the right thing. I’ve talked with summer camp owners who are bringing in thoughtful policies to enhance the health and safety of kids even further.

I know we can get through to Doug on this one — when the chips are down, he’s always there “for the people”. I know he will be again now.

But we have to move quickly — I understand that bureaucrats are pressuring him to ban summer camps altogether, as soon as this week!

We have to let Doug know RIGHT NOW how wrong that would be.

Please sign our petition. I’d like to get 25,000 signatures this week and keep going for more.

Come on Ford Nation: let’s do it for the kids!