Camp To Help Alleviate Childcare Crisis Tobermory
By Tessa Swanton (Townson),
Bruce Peninsula Press
Three local women have come together to address the growing shortage of childcare in Northern Bruce Peninsula. “A lot of families are feeling as though we are in crisis at this point because we can’t work, we can’t run our businesses, we can’t expect other people to come and work with, and for, our companies and our businesses if we cannot provide care for them,” Amanda Hofstrand expressed at the February 23rd Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula (MNBP) Council Meeting.
Seeking Council’s support, Hofstrand, along with Katie Oblak and Katie Davis, prepared a detailed business plan for a new Tobermory Children’s Camp, which plans to provide a safe, fun, and educational summer experience for children focused on creativity, outdoor play, and social development.
Their detailed business plan includes a program design, schedule, staffing plan, budget, activities, and timeline to open that has been fast tracked to this June. Tobermory Children’s Camp plans to operate five days a week from 9am to 3pm, with the possibility of extended hours, for 6-8 weeks over the busy summer months. The camp is targeting the 4–10-year-old age group, which is underserved in the municipality. They anticipate enrollment in the 15-20 children range.
In the fall of 2023, Tobermory Primary Place (TPP) Childcare Centre relocated to the St. Edmunds Public School building. The newly renovated modern facility was purpose built to accommodate the needs of local families requiring childcare.
“But we have since entered into a baby boom of sorts and that has opened up the issue that our summertime programing is not able to accommodate a fraction of the school age children that we now have looking for care,” said Hofstrand.
Tobermory Primary Place is licenced for a maximum of 30 school aged children. The Ministry of Education and childcare policies state only 25% of those 30 children can be between the ages of 5-7. That limits the enrollment of children aged 5-7 to only 7 spots.
There are 17 children in the JK/SK class in Tobermory, that may be affected by this lack of availability according to Hofstrand. These statistics do not account for the Grade 1 and 2 children also affected in this age range. “We have at least 20 families being affected by that just locally in Tobermory, not taking into account all the families that have been bringing their children from Lion’s Head and surrounding areas for care.” she said.
The delegation to Council included a request to utilize The Meeting Place, Tobermory (TMP), a municipal owned building. Oblak explained that she initially reached out to the TMP after being notified that one of her two children would not be receiving care this summer. TMP approved use of the space on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for operation of the camp during the summer. The camp will be hiring camp coordinators, counsellors, purchasing insurance, and operating under a trusteeship through TMP during the 2026 pilot project season. They have reached out to various organizations in Tobermory in hopes of finding camp space for Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Although the Tobermory Children’s Camp will help to alleviate the childcare shortage in the northern village of MNBP, there is still a major childcare shortfall occurring in Lion’s Head. Hofstrand referred to the Bruce Peninsula Family Centre in Lion’s Head as being in a “worse position” than the Tobermory daycare, as their licensing only allows for 4 children between the age of 5 and 7 in the summertime. She mentioned that there are two JK/SK classes at Bruce Peninsula District School (BPDS) each with approximately 30 students this year.
The presenters explained that they are looking to alleviate pressure off TPP Daycare and complimented their efforts. A shortage of Early Childhood Educators (ECE) interested in working in the area poses a major challenge for daycare providers to increase their care capacity.
The camp plans to employ one counsellor/coordinator for every six children. The position would be ideal for university students studying to become a teacher, ECE, child and youth worker, or related fields. Applicants must have lifeguard, CPR, and first aid certifications.
The fee structure is proposed at $35/day per child with a 10% sibling discount. The rates stipulate a $175 weekly fee with county subsidy options greatly reducing fees. The camp projects revenue around $21,000-$28,000 for the summer season of June 29th to the first week of September which aligns with their estimated operating budget.
A public letter from Katie Oblak to the Meeting Place dated February 5th identifies that the purpose of the camp is to “Provide reliable childcare for local working families during the busiest months of the year, ensuring parents have consistent support while contributing to the tourism economy; create a safe, educational, and engaging summer environment for children ages 4–10, offering structured activities that promote learning, creativity, and social development; strengthen the resilience and well being of the Tobermory community by supporting families during a period of heightened economic pressure and labour shortages; and reduce barriers to employment for parents working in hospitality, retail, restaurants, and other seasonal operations, helping stabilize the local workforce and support business continuity.”
Councillor Laurie (Smokey) Golden expressed, “Tobermory isn’t the only community in our municipality that’s having this problem, should we be thinking about Lion’s Head as well, do you know of anything going on there, time is of the essence.”
The Bruce Peninsula Family Centre in Lion’s Head daycare has only one main building available for programs, whereas TPP Daycare operates out of the school classrooms during the summer months, offering more space.
Oblak has spoken with Bruce County, MPP Paul Vickers, and next is MP Alex Ruff. They noted that use of municipal community centres may be an option for the camp program to fill the Tuesday and Thursday slots and/or the use of school gymnasiums in the future.
Council supported the Tobermory Summer Camp project and utilization of the Tobermory Meeting Place facility on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
“It sounds like an interesting program and it’s needed…good luck,” said Mayor Milt McIver.
