2025 Canadian Camp Census Report: Executive Summary
2025 Canadian Camp Census Report Executive Summary:
The 2025 Canadian Camp Census provides a comprehensive snapshot of accredited camps across Canada, representing 722 camps across 8 Provincial Camping Associations (PCAs). With 310 participating camps, the census garnered a 48% response rate, a high achievement for industry data surveys.
Here is what we found:
Key Takeaways:
Canadian accredited summer camps are an essential part of Canadian society. In 2025, summer camps impacted 1 in every 47 Canadians.
Camp operations extend beyond serving campers and staff, contributing almost $1 billion to local economies through significant annual spending and investment.
Several barriers impact Canadian summer camps, and support is needed to help them reach their full potential, expand their year-round workforce, and increase economic output in their communities.
Camps are a Significant Part of Canadian Society
Those who attend Canadian accredited summer camps represent 2.14% of Canada's population, serving almost 830,000 Canadians yearly. It is clear that summer camps are essential contributors to the Canadian economy, job market and society:
In summer 2025, approximately 484,000 children attended accredited summer camps in Canada - which equates to 4.5 million units of service comparable to other daily recreation or education spaces (museums, water parks, etc.).
55% of responding camps offer off-summer-season programming, serving an additional 345,000 Canadians.
71% of responding camps offer site/facility rentals, hosting over 6,000 individual groups, or over 150,000 participants per year.
Driven by Mission: Purpose-Led Ownership and Specialized Inclusion
Canadian camps operate predominantly as non-profit or charitable organizations. Approximately 77% of camps hold non-profit or charitable status, while the remaining 23% are private, family-owned, or commercial businesses.
Canadian summer camps strive to create inclusive environments, with 30% of camps offering specialized programming tailored specifically for children with medical needs, physical disabilities, or cognitive differences.
With this, we can safely assume that over 100,000 children and youth benefit from exclusive programming and communities of participants at similar stages of life.
To see the provincial breakdown, read the census here.
Canadian Summer Camps are Fueling Canada’s Youth Workforce
Accredited camps are significant employers, providing year-round and seasonal employment opportunities for Canadians, with their workforce growing substantially during the summer months.
Accredited camps typically maintain 2-5 year-round employees, placing them among the 21% of Canadian non-profit and charitable organizations with comparable employment levels.
Canadian camps employ approximately 4,000 year-round staff and 39,500 seasonal contract workers.
Across Canada, for every staff member employed by accredited summer camps, approximately 19 campers are served per year.
The $1 Billion Impact of Canadian Summer Camps
Canadian camps input over $837 million into the Canadian economy yearly, spending primarily on human resources, food service costs, insurance costs, and maintenance costs.
Between 2022 and 2025, approximately 73% of camps invested in capital projects, injecting an additional $174 million into their local economies.
To see the provincial breakdown, read the census here.
Capacity Levels Indicate Potential for Future Growth
Accredited camps are operating under capacity. Camps in four PCAs are operating at or under 60% of their capacity. If key operational barriers were removed, accredited camps could triple the number of campers served.
Over half of accredited camps in Canada reported over 5 unique reasons preventing them from welcoming more campers. These barriers identify several opportunities for growth and areas for support. While physical capacity was cited as the top barrier across most PCAs, staffing shortages remained a persistent secondary challenge.
While capacity requires further analysis, one thing is clear: by easing these key barriers, camps are uniquely positioned to open their doors to hundreds of thousands more campers, unlock tens of thousands of seasonal youth jobs, and drive millions of dollars into local economies.
By reflecting on our 2025 census data, we are able to see the impacts of accredited summer camps and highlight just how vital Canadian summer camps are to communities across the country. Camps create opportunities for children and youth to grow, build lasting connections, and develop skills, while creating jobs and supporting local economies. Continued investment in camps will help strengthen their capacity, support their long-term sustainability, and ensure more young people can benefit from the camp experience for years to come.
Find out more, and connect with the CCA:
ccamping.org
info@ccamping.org
Read the 2025 Canadian Camp Census Report
Read the full report here:
