April 2024 news

Here are the highlights of this month's newsletter:

• Three ACQ member camps receive $50,000 from the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation
• Exemption Form
• It was an impressive first for the ACQ to speak at the National Assembly!

Three ACQ member camps receive $50,000 from the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation

As part of the Program to enrich the variety of activities for camps welcoming clients with special needs, 3 member camps of the Association des camps du Québec (ACQ) receive $50,000 from the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation to implement new activity sites on their camp.

Eight projects were submitted as part of the program and were analyzed according to a pre-established scoring scale to designate the winning projects. The jury was composed of:

• Alexandra Gilbert de l'Association québecoise pour le loisir des personnes handicapées (AQLPH)

• Carolyne Lavoie de Répit Québec et de Solidarité de parents de personnes handicapées

• Patrick Boyer, coordonnateur à la vie étudiante à l'école Vanguard et consultant à la certification de l'ACQ

The winning projects

Congratulations to the following organizations for their innovative and inclusive projects for all types of clientele!

1. Hope in the air: aerial trampoline area – Center Normand-Léveillé
2. Sleeping with the stars: adapted camping yurts – Camp Massawippi
3. To the rhythm of happiness: outdoor musical park – Association Garagona

Exemption Form

It is possible for an ACQ member camp to request a waiver for hiring candidates who do not meet the prerequisites governed by the ACQ standards and guidelines.

To do this, you must complete the exemption form available here:

To properly evaluate your request, you will be asked some information such as the reasons for selecting the candidate and the compensation measures that will be put in place.

For more information about the ACQ standards and guidelines, consult the Standards for certified camps or the Reference framework for municipal day camps.

It was an impressive first for the ACQ to speak at the National Assembly!

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Association des camps du Québec representatives went to the National Assembly to present their brief submitted as part of the parliamentary commission surrounding Bill 45 amending the Sports Safety Act. This document states the importance of camps in the lives of families in Quebec and the recommendations made for the safe supervision of day camp activities, vacation camps and family camps in Quebec.

This is the first time in its history that the ACQ speaks in assembly

Éric Beauchemin, Executive director of the ACQ, mentioned in his introductory speech:

“It is certainly a privilege and an honour to be here, but at the same time I cannot help but be inhabited by a feeling of acquired right to speak when we talk about security and integrity which is justified by our more than 60 years of activity as an attentive observer of camp activities in Quebec. […] Today we are faced with an unprecedented window of opportunity to optimize, thanks to the initiative of Bill 45, the safety and integrity of children and vulnerable clients attending camps in Quebec.”

Anne-Frédérique Morin strongly attacked her presentation as follows:

“It is still absurd to note that even today, no law specifically and directly regulates camp activities in Quebec. Every time we say it, parents are stunned by this fact.

Bill 45 aims to achieve its objectives of safety and protection of the integrity of children, people with special needs and young people camp employees, it is necessary to obtain an operating permit for all camps.”

Thomas LePage-Gouin, president of the ACQ, for his part, was very convincing and relevant during his interventions aimed at answering parliamentarians' questions, particularly on criminal record checks and the urgency of action.

Watch the passage in the ACQ parliamentary committee:

And now

We do not intend for this important issue to be forgotten. The ACQ will continue to monitor this matter closely to ensure security in the camps for all the people who attend them.