November 2025 news

Here are the highlights of this month's newsletter :

• The award winners of the 2025 Distinction Awards
• The 2025 Award winning camps of Excellence Awards
• The ACQ Board of Directors 2025-2026
• Become a Host Camp for Destination C.A.M.P. in 2026
• The Reference Framework for Municipal Day Camps celebrates its 15th anniversary!

The award winners of the 2025 Distinction Awards

On November 12, the Association des camps du Québec (ACQ) presented the Distinction Awards as part of its conference in Saint-Sauveur and highlighted the impressive contribution of people within the world of camps.

Congratulations to the 2025 winners!

Torchbearer – Bernard Charbonneau

First as a camper, then as a counselor and camp director, Bernard Charbonneau volunteered nearly twenty years of his time to Camp Olier. Now retired from teaching and management, he spends most of the summer at the camp as maintenance director and remains available to assist the new director.

Read the press release

Torchbearer – Francine Larivière

For over 35 years, Francine Larivière has devoted her energy and expertise to helping children with learning difficulties and their families. As CEO of GymnO Laval, she has built a strong and respected organization where inclusion, respect, and human development guide every action.

Read the press release

Torchbearer – Guillaume Roberge

Depuis près de trente ans, Guillaume Roberge fait partie intégrante du Centre Notre-Dame-de-Fatima. De campeur à directeur des opérations, il a grandi avec le camp et a contribué à façonner son identité avec passion, intelligence et constance. Tel un chêne solidement enraciné, il incarne la force tranquille et l’esprit d’évolution de toute une organisation.

Read the press release

Next Generation – Frédéric Plasse

Since 2015, Frédéric Plasse has been promoting the Centre de plein air l’Estacade through his leadership, dedication, and profound humanity. Starting as a counselor, then becoming a sailing specialist, coordinator, and respite camp leader. He now serves as the youth program director, where he puts his expertise to work for the summer camp, weekend respite programs, and day camp.

Read the press release

The 2025 Award winning camps of Excellence Awards

On November 11, the Association des camps du Québec (ACQ) presented the Excellence Awards as part of its conference in Saint-Sauveur and highlighted the exceptional quality of camp projects.

Congratulations to the 2025 winners!

Projects recognized in 2025 with an Excellence in Development and Innovation Award

Certified Sleepaway Camp Category — Preventing Bullying in the Classroom by the Centre de plein air l’Estacade. The camp offered educational activities and workshops to all fourth-grade students at the Hautes-Rivières School Service Center (1,000 students) to prevent or counter bullying among young people.

Read the press release

Certified day camp category — Duo relève by the Centre du Sablon. This program offers an enriching experience that combines training in water rescue and recreation. Designed for teens, it offers two tracks tailored to each participant's needs and skill level.

Read the press release

Projects recognized in 2025 with an Excellence Award for programming and camp life

Municipal day camp category — Sharing creativity by the city of Bromont. Local artists are invited to propose accessible workshops that nurture the curiosity and creativity of children attending day camp.

Read the press release

Certified Sleepaway Camp Category — Immersive Twinning by Camp du Lac Vert. By offering an immersive nature experience to young students from disadvantaged backgrounds or who are new to Quebec, this project has helped them develop confidence, perseverance, and a successful transition to high school.

Read the press release

Certified Day Camp Category — TOUPIE : a program that puts well-being on the right track! By Camp Le Manoir. A mental health prevention program tailored to the camp environment, offering eight fun workshops on emotions, self-esteem, relationships, resilience, digital balance, and more.

Read the press release

The ACQ Board of Directors 2025-2026

Another year of associative life has come to a close, and we are pleased to highlight some of its key contributions.

To the members of the Board of Directors, especially outgoing members Nancy, Olivier, Shauna, and Thomas, a huge thank you for your commitment. Your time, skills, and kindness have helped advance our association, support our members, and strengthen the entire camp industry. Your time on the Board has left a lasting mark for which we are deeply grateful.

We would also like to highlight the quality of your involvement over the years. Whether through your ideas, leadership, or advice, you have helped build a stronger, safer, and more inspiring environment. Thank you for being valuable allies in this collective mission.

We would like to take this opportunity to warmly congratulate Marilyse Richard-Robert on her election as Chair of the Board. Having served on the Board for five years, she is very familiar with the current issues and projects of the Association des camps du Québec.

Finally, we would like to welcome our new administrators! We are delighted to have you join us. Your expertise, perspectives, and energy arrive at a crucial moment to sustain the momentum already in place. Together, we will continue to support those who enrich the lives of participants across Quebec and promote the Association des camps du Québec.

Become a Host Camp for Destination C.A.M.P. in 2026

Are you passionate about the Destination C.A.M.P. program and ready to join our family of host camps this year? Here’s what it takes to become a partner :

• Offer 2 to 4 consecutive weeks of camp, without breaks at home between weeks
• Welcome youth aged 11 to 17
• Commit to running the program for multiple years (minimum 2 years)
• Be a certified camp and an active, in good standing member
• Bring the program’s mission to life through camp activities (C : Confidence, A : Autonomy, M: Motivation, P : Perseverance)

Ready to embark on the 2026 adventure? Fill out the form now
 *Need the form in English? Just click the button in the top right corner

The Reference Framework for Municipal Day Camps celebrates its 15th anniversary!

On November 3, 2010, the Association québécoise du loisir municipal (AQLP, now the Association québécoise du loisir public) and the ACQ signed a historic agreement to implement the Reference Framework for Municipal Day Camps. At that time, there were no guidelines for the safety and quality of these camps.

Fifteen years later, the progress made is impressive :

In 2011, only 31 cities adhered to the Framework.

In 2025, nearly 375 organizations (cities, boroughs, community centers) are members of the ACQ and refer to the Reference Framework to offer more than 610 camp sites across Quebec!

A celebration at the ACQ conference

During the conference, at the 2025 Awards of Excellence ceremony on Tuesday, November 11, the ACQ made a point of highlighting this important celebration during its gala.

Our Executive Director, Éric Beauchemin, who was present at the signing of the reference framework in 2010, and Rémi Richard, Executive Director of the AQLP,  took the stage to say a few words. 

During the gala, the ACQ also wanted to recognize the member cities that have been involved since the beginning 15 years ago and are still members of the Association des camps du Québec today. You were visionaries at the time, and you continue to promote the importance of safe supervision in camps in Quebec. The ACQ would like to thank and congratulate the following cities :

• Arrondissement Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-Aux-Trembles
• Municipalité d’Amqui
• Municipalité d’Oka
• Municipalité de Boischâtel
• Municipalité de Lac-Etchemin
• Municipalité de Piedmont
• Municipalité de Saint-Alexandre
• Municipalité de Saint-Charles-Borromée
• Municipalité de Saint-Damien
• Municipalité de Saint-Donat
• Municipalité de Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs
• Municipalité de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
• Municipalité des Îles-de-la-madeleine
• Ville de Boucherville
• Ville de Brossard
• Ville de Dolbeau-Mistassini
• Ville de La Pocatière
• Ville de Lachute
• Ville de Lac-Mégantic
• Ville de Laval
• Ville de Mont-Saint-Hilaire
• Ville de Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier
• Ville de Saint-Rémi

After numerous revisions and updates, notably in 2020 and then in 2022 with the inclusion of community recreation centers in the program, the Reference Framework remains to this day an indispensable tool and reference for all municipal and community camp managers in Quebec, whether or not they are members of the ACQ. This risk management tool remains relevant and takes into account the current reality.

The Reference Framework is now deployed in Quebec's 17 administrative regions and can count on the support of numerous provincial and regional partners to promote it. We would like to highlight the significant involvement of URLS day camp agents in this project over the past three years, under the umbrella of the URLS Network.

Not yet a member of the ACQ?

Are you a city, municipality, or borough that applies the reference framework but is not yet a member? Follow the example of the cities mentioned above (and more than 350 others in Quebec) and become a member now to join the big family!  

All the membership information is available here.