Staffing challenges could keep Camp Lau-Ren closed this summer. Lifeguards and cooks are in high demand at the summer camp located outside of Deep River. Executive Director Joanne Hartnett says due to COVID-19, they’ve been closed the last two summers. She adds, they usually have about half of their staff return on a yearly basis, but because they’ve been closed, they don’t have any returning staff.
Hartnett says applications for summer positions opened early in January and many positions remain unfilled. She says they need at least two lifeguards to run any programming this summer. Lifeguards need to be 16-years-old and trained, something Hartnett says has been a challenge because pools have been closed.
Hartnett says they have 500 campers scheduled to come this summer and would be disappointed to not open June 30th.
Camp Lau-Ren is located 10 km West of Deep River ON, on the shores of the Ottawa River and is accredited by the Ontario Camps Association. Camp Lau-Ren offers staff the opportunity to live on-site during the summer with free room and board and competitive wages. Applications and more information is available online.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)