Payments can be made either by credit card or Electronic Cheque (EFT) by providing your banking information upon checkout. Our online system will not accept payments by cheque, debit or cash; to pay by cheque, debit or cash you MUST fill out a paper registration form. Please also note that these methods of payment may cause a delay in the registration process, and your spot will not be guaranteed until we receive a payment. We strongly recommend using our online system and paying by credit card in order to ensure that your child’s spot is reserved.
Discounts*
- Membership discount:
A discount of $100 per program for any child who is a member of the YMCA.
- Sibling discount:
A 10% discount per child from the same family (applies to the second child and subsequent children).
*Please note that these discounts CANNOT be combined.
Payments and Refund Policy
A $50 deposit per session is due at the time of registration.
All fees must be paid in full by June 1, 2021:
A $15 fee will be charged for any declined payments
Cancellations:
- Full reimbursement may be granted if a written request is received before June 1, 2021. A reimbursement will not be granted without a written request. After June 1st until the start of the session registered, if a cancellation is made the 50$ deposit will be kept.
- In the event that camp is cancelled due to COVID-19 all fees paid will be reimbursed.
- The Camp YMCA Kanawana Administration reserves the right to cancel (and reimburse) any registration at any time. All reimbursements will be issued using the same method of payment. If payment was made by debit card or cash, the client will be reimbursed by cheque.
- Once the camp session has begun, refunds will be prorated according to the number of days your child was present during that same session.
- Absence from camp does not constitute a withdrawal from the program. A reimbursement will not be granted.
- Refunds will not be given if the camper is sent home for misconduct.
Modifications:
- Cancellations or changes will only be accepted by email. Please email your request to the following address: contact@ymcaquebec.org. Changes are subject to availability.
Behavioural Policy
Camp YMCA Kanawana reserves the right to send a child home in the event of major misconduct (bullying, drug or alcohol use, violence, etc.) or of accumulation of consistent disregard for Camp YMCA Kanawana’s code of conduct. In this case, the parents or guardians must pick up the child as soon as possible. The camp then retains the full amount of fees for their stay.
Every summer Camp YMCA Kanawana proudly welcomes campers (and staff) from all over the world. Over the years, campers and staff have joined our family from the USA, Spain, Mexico, Columbia, England, Australia, France, Brazil, Turkey and Zimbabwe, just to name a few!
Please consult our Parent Handbook (available in Important Documents) for more information about how our camp works and how to contact your child during their stay, as well as information about required insurance and traveling to and from camp for international campers.
Camp YMCA Kanawana can provide a transportation service to and from the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport in Montréal for all our international campers (and staff) for an additional fee. If your child needs to be met at the airport, please indicate this on our online registration form and follow the steps outlined in the Parent Handbook.
Camp YMCA Kanawana is an inclusive and welcoming community that does its best to accommodate campers with different needs or diverse abilities. Please note that we try our hardest to accommodate everyone, but resources are limited and our site is on rough terrain (in terms of accessibility for campers with reduced mobility). In order for campers to fully benefit from camp, it is best if the camper is able to participate and go about activities of daily living with minimal support.
So we can best support your child and provide them with a great Camp YMCA Kanawana experience, please tell us as much as possible about your child and their needs by filling out our Request for Participation Form.
Please contact Audrey at audrey.dowse@ymcaquebec.org to receive a copy of the form.
Once we have received the completed forms, we will then assess whether or not we have the services available to accommodate your child.
If we are informed well in advance, we are usually able to accommodate children who require a companion. Please note that we have a limited number of companions available each session.
What does a typical day at camp look like?
In regular camp programs, campers spend most of their day with their cabin/tent group and counsellors. They eat meals together, choose activities as a group, and do their bedtime routine together. In the afternoons, they are scheduled for two blocks of what we call “Interest Groups”, where they get to choose their own two activities for one week at a time, apart from their bunkmates. Campers get to choose other activities or spend time with their friends in other sections or cabins/tents during “General Swim” time twice a day.
What is the food like? Do you cater to special diets?
Our chef has been with us for over ten years, and works closely with a dietician to ensure that our meals are varied and healthy for growing kids. Meals are served at the table “family style”, meaning that our staff can oversee how their campers eat during every meal. We serve three meals a day, offer fruit and water throughout the day as an extra boost, and snacks most evenings. We also accommodate vegetarian, lactose-free, as well as and pork- or beef-free diets. We do not serve any products with nuts, and do our best to ensure that none are brought onto the camp – but we cannot guarantee a 100% nut-free environment. For dietary restrictions other than those listed above, you can always contact the camp director to discuss your options; working with our chef, we should be able to find a way to accommodate your camper!
How can I communicate with my camper while they are at camp?
Campers can communicate with their parents via good old-fashioned snail mail, and once a week we offer to scan and email a letter home for every child on site; campers on canoe trips will not have this option. Parents can communicate with their children by sending an email that will be printed and delivered once a day, or letters by regular mail, or even packages through Canada Post or UPS/FedEx (we do not recommend Purolator, as they don’t always deliver directly to camp). When sending packages, PLEASE do not include food or candy, because they attract various critters into the tents and cabins. Please note that the post office is responsible for delivery times and there may be significant delays. We recommend sending one letter or two before your camper arrives at camp, so that they can get them sooner! More information on how communication works can be found in our Parent Guide online. Should there be an urgent need for you to contact the camp directly, you can always call the camp phone line and our office staff will connect you to the appropriate person, i.e. the camp director, your camper’s section director, or even set time to speak to your camper directly. Also, any child who has a birthday while they are at camp gets to call home.
What are your policies regarding swimming/water safety?
All campers are evaluated in the water during their first couple of days at camp. This evaluation will determine whether they can swim in the shallow or the deep end of our designated swimming area, and whether or not they can use our boating equipment on their own, or need to be accompanied by a staff member. The children can be re-evaluated anytime throughout their stay to obtain their “blue cord”, which would allow them to swim in the deep end and go boating on their own. All participants must wear a PFD when using water equipment outside the designated swimming area (water trampoline, canoes, kayaks, SUPs).
What if my camper has another obligation during the session? Can I register him or her for only part of a session?
If your camper needs to leave camp for a specific reason, i.e. a medical appointment, school exam, sports try-out, etc., you can contact the camp staff and schedule a short absence and pick them up and drop them off accordingly. You can communicate with the camp director or section director directly to make arrangements. We do not offer partial sessions as such, because the remaining portion could not be filled by another camper, and so it would be a spot away from someone who wanted to be at the camp for the entire two-week period. If necessary, you can drop your camper off late, or pick them up early, but we do not recommend doing so as they would miss out on of the full camp experience!
Where and when are the pick-up and drop-off times for the bus?
Our busses leave from and return to Pierre LaPorte High School in T.M.R. (1101 Rockland Road). For departures to camp, you should arrive at the school between 7 and 8 a.m. on the Monday when camp starts. Campers will return between 4 and 6 p.m. on the Friday the session ends. For further details regarding pick-ups and drop-offs, please consult our Parent Guide online.
What is the “tuck fee” for?
Every camper who comes to Kanawana will receive a water bottle on their first day at camp to ensure that they stay hydrated throughout their stay. Upon leaving, they will also get a camp t-shirt and photos with both their group and with the whole camp to take home as souvenirs; a portion of the tuck fee covers the cost of those items. The remaining balance of the tuck fee remains in their account to spend at the camp’s “tuck shop”, where we have additional camp-related swag items and other useful things like toothbrushes, flashlights, batteries, or stamps to mail letters home and even a few snacks. Your camper can also use the money in their account to buy items from the camp store, and any unused funds at the end of their stay can either be refunded upon request, or simply be put towards our campership fund for future seasons. You can request for additional funds to be added to their camp store account as needed; they start off with $30 to spend at the store.
Where do the campers sleep? How are counsellors selected for the different groups?
Campers in the Junior sections (Woodsmen & Pioneers) sleep in cabins that accommodate 10, with 2 staff members in their own small room within that cabin. There are six upper bunks and four lower bunks, with cubbies for each camper to store their personal stuff for daily use. Their duffel bag/suitcase/trunk goes under their bed and holds most of their clothing. Every camper bed has its own window and the cabin has a front-covered porch for hanging things up to dry, or simply for keeping shoes outside the main cabin room. Campers in the Senior sections (Coureurs des Bois, Pathfinders, Senior Kanawanians) sleep in platform tents, namely a wooden platform with bunk beds, covered by a heavy canvas tent and waterproof tarp. This group consists of 8 campers and 1 to 2 staff members all sharing the same space. There are clothes lines for hanging things to dry, as well as some shelves for storing items of daily use. During the day, campers are encouraged to roll up their tent walls to let the air flow freely and then roll them down at night to keep the bugs away and stay warm. Counsellors are assigned to groups based on their abilities and experience. Junior counsellors having their first experience with campers will always be paired with an older, more experienced counsellor for their first session. Counsellors are always at least 3 years older than the campers they supervise, as per ACQ (Association des camps du Québec) guidelines. The Pathfinders and Pioneers groups are made up of girls and non-binary campers; Coureurs des Bois and Woodsmen consist of boys and non-binary campers; Senior Kanawanians and Voyageurs are co-ed groups. Staff are not assigned based on gender identity, but if your camper needs to be placed with counsellors of their own gender identity exclusively, you may contact the camp director and make that request.
How do I know which trip option is right for my camper?
The Explorer program is a short trip across flat water (lakes and hiking) for 11- and 12-year-old campers. It’s a great option for beginners to gain experience, though for safety reasons, we do require that these campers be strong swimmers, i.e. able to get their “blue cord” during the swimming evaluation. The Intro to White Water program is for campers aged 13 to 16 who are interested in getting their first white-water (river) kayaking experience. They will learn kayaking skills at camp during the “Interest Groups” and group program sessions, and spend one day on the rapids off camp. While they must be strong swimmers, they do not need any kayaking experience to sign up.
Adventurer programs are short canoe trips for 13- to 16-year-old campers. Sessions 1 through 3 are white-water (river) trips and session 4 is a flat water (lake) excursion. Like the Explorers, the campers must be confident swimmers, but do not need any advanced canoe experience to give these trips a try. In fact, these are the trips that are recommended for first-time canoe trip participants from the Senior sections, or as a first white-water outing following an Explorer experience.
If your camper already has some canoeing experience, then the Voyageur program is the one for them. These trips are open to campers aged 13 to 16 as well, but last 8 days, as opposed to only 4 or 5 days as the others. Sessions 1 through 3, they are white-water (river) trips, and in session 4 is a flat water (lake) outing. Voyageurs should be strong swimmers and we recommend that they have some experience with canoes. Voyageur Ultimate is a much longer, white-water adventure lasting 19 to 21 days, for relatively experienced (or VERY adventurous!) teens aged 14 to 17.
Because we want as many people as possible to take part in our programs, the YMCA’s financial assistance offers you rates that are adjusted to your income.
The financial assistance promotes equal access to our programs. *
In addition, families can receive financial assistance offered by the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports under the Financial Assistance Program, which provides accessibility to summer camps based on your family's income.
For more information, write us at contact@ymcaquebec.org or call us at: +1 833 505-9622 (outside Montréal) or at 514 687-9622 (Montréal).
The YMCA will review your request in complete confidentiality.
* This policy cannot be combined with any other discounts.