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You are here: Home / City Hall / Halifax announces modified summer day camps to start in mid-July for kids aged six-12

Halifax announces modified summer day camps to start in mid-July for kids aged six-12

June 11, 2020 By Zane Woodford Leave a Comment

Kids at Halifax’s Adventure Earth Centre. Photo: Twitter/@hfxrec

The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free.

Halifax has announced its modified summer camps will start on July 13 and run until August 28, but will only be offered for kids between the ages of six and 12 on a half-day basis.

The city originally cancelled all summer camps in mid-April, and argued in mid-May that it was too late to reverse the decision. At the end of May — after Nova Scotia chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said there was no reason to cancel them — city staff told council they could in fact offer some modified programs. Councillors set aside $500,000 originally cut from the budget to make it happen.

In a news release on Thursday, the city said it will offer two options for week-long camps at “select facilities”: weekday mornings from 9a.m. to noon or weekday afternoons from 1:30p.m. to 4:30p.m.

“The half-day camp option allows the municipality to maximize the number of participants while following public health protocol and ensuring safe physical distancing,” the release said.

“Most camp activities will be provided in an outdoor setting to help maintain provincial physical distancing protocol. If the weather does not permit outdoor activities, then camps will be moved indoors, unless it has been designated as an exclusively outdoor camp.”

There are also plans to hold free programs like “nature bingo,” guided hikes, and arts and crafts in North Preston, Sheet Harbour, Musquodoboit Valley and Musquodoboit Harbour. The city is expanding its Rec Van — a mobile rec centre — to two vehicles, and the Adventure Earth Centre, pictured above, will offer outdoor programs “in a variety of different locations.”

The city is planning virtual options for teens and young adults up to the age of 24, including employment skills, conversations on the environment, and conversations on the upcoming municipal election.

Camps for kids younger than six “will not be offered this summer due to difficulty enforcing physical distancing requirements for this age group.”

“Once guidelines have been set by public health,” the city says, more details and registration information will be released.


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Filed Under: City Hall, Featured, News Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, physical distancing, summer camp

About Zane Woodford

Zane Woodford covers municipal politics for the Halifax Examiner. Email: [email protected]; Twitter

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The Tideline, with Tara Thorne

Phyllis Rising — Rebecca Falvey (left) and Meg Hubley. Photo submitted

Episode #19 of The Tideline, with Tara Thorne is published.

Meg Hubley and Rebecca Falvey met as theatre kids at Neptune and have been friends ever since. As Phyllis Rising — that’s right, Mary Tyler Moore hive — they’re making films, plays, and are in production on The Crevice, a three-part sitcom streaming live from the Bus Stop in March. They stop by to talk with Tara about its development, their shared love of classic SNL and 90s sitcoms, and the power of close friendship. Plus: A new song from a new band.

This episode is available today only for premium subscribers; to become a premium subscriber, click here, and join the select group of arts and entertainment supporters for just $5/month. Everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow to listen to it.

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Uncover: Dead Wrong

In 1995, Brenda Way was brutally murdered behind a Dartmouth apartment building. In 1999, Glen Assoun was found guilty of the murder. He served 17 years in prison, but steadfastly maintained his innocence. In 2019, Glen Assoun was fully exonerated.

Halifax Examiner founder and investigative journalist Tim Bousquet has followed the story of Glen Assoun's wrongful conviction for over five years. Now, Bousquet tells that story as host of Season 7 of the CBC podcast series Uncover: Dead Wrong.

Click here to go to listen to the podcast, or search for CBC Uncover on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast aggregator.

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