I hope you're catching your breath, Reader.

For most Canadian directors, summer ended 6 to 8 weeks ago. The gear is stored. The staff are gone.

You're somewhere between exhausted and already thinking about next year.

Before you shift too far into planning mode, I want to share something.

This fall, the Canadian Camps Association released their first national census since COVID. They surveyed 722 accredited camps across the country. (English | French)

One number stood out.

Canadian accredited camps operated at 37% capacity in Summer 2025.

The census estimates our sector could accommodate 1.3 million campers each summer. This summer, responding camps served about 484,000.

Take that in for a moment.

Most camps in this survey are well-run. They care about their kids. They work hard.

And they're still leaving two-thirds of their spots unfilled.

I think most of that gap is a reach problem.

Families who would love your camp haven't found it yet. They didn't hear from you last fall. They didn't see you show up in January.

By the time you opened registration, they'd already chosen somewhere else.

None of that is about what happens at camp. It's about what happens before camp.

I'll be sharing more about what this means for Canadian camps in the months ahead. There are some straightforward things you can do about this. Things that don't require a big budget or a dedicated marketing team.

For now, I just wanted you to know this number exists.

You've earned the right to know what's possible.

Take good care,

Travis

P.S. The full census is available through the Canadian Camps Association if you want to dig into the provincial breakdowns. English | French​