Canada/Day camps: Sainte-Gertrude children will stay in Sainte-Gertrude

The Ville de Bécancour has listened to the concerns expressed by parents and is backtracking on the organization of its day camps for the coming summer season.

The plan to bus children from the Sainte-Gertrude sector to the Gentilly and Sainte-Angèle sectors has been cancelled. They will therefore be able to continue to enjoy a local plateau, without having to travel.

Parents had complained that the new model imposed a daily commute of up to 85 kilometers, a travel time of up to 1 hour 45 minutes.

The initial project was based on a good idea, grouping children by age group to improve the offer," explains Bécancour mayor Pascal Blondin. Now we've heard from parents and families. In some cases, we had to separate two children from the same family. This made the logistics a little more complex for parents.

The Bécancour day camps have around 430 registrations. Some 50 young people living in the Sainte-Gertrude area were more directly affected by the changes to the existing model.

The town asserts that there were no budgetary issues in the proposed new formula. In fact, I think the project to separate the Sainte-Gertrude children was more expensive than maintaining the status quo," adds Mayor Blondin.

The parents concerned will be informed of the latest decisions. Not one, but five virtual meetings are now planned to provide information and answer questions.

Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/