Warm weather is within reach, and the Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) is already turning its focus to summer. Day camp registration opened Wednesday morning (April 16th), both online and in person, and preparations are well underway for another packed season full of fun.
New and returning camp themes
Recreation manager Zapphira Major says staff are already anticipating another action-packed summer.
"We're super excited to get day camp underway and have already gone through the planning process for some fun themed weeks," says Major. “Some favourites are coming back like ‘Water Week’, and ‘Science Week’, as well as some new ones like ‘Amazing Race Week’.
The weekly camps, which typically run Monday to Friday, are adjusted slightly around holidays. Some sessions will run for three or four days, but each week follows a central theme fully integrated into all activities by the staff.
Camps serve a wide variety of needs in the community, from full-time summer care to short-term fun or convenience. Whether it's filling in a childcare gap or providing entertainment around work and vacation schedules, the demand has remained strong.
"We have kids that are there for most of the summer because they don't have a daycare spot, so it's their childcare for the summer," adds Major.
Other families choose their weeks based on interest or convenience, such as pairing day camp with swimming lessons. Camp staff even escort kids to their lessons, which has proven especially helpful for working parents.
"People do it for two-week stints so that we can take their kids to swimming lessons and parents don't have to take time off work," Major continues. “Others are interested in a particular theme, or they sign their child up to see friends and socialize.”
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A waitlist worth joining
Each week of camp can accommodate 60 children, which Major says suits both their facility and the required staff-to-child ratio. When weeks are filled up, the PRRA encourages families to add their children to the waitlist as spots often become available as summer progresses and families head out of town on vacations.
Day camps will run for nine weeks, from July 2 to August 28. The final Friday is kept open to allow staff, many of whom are university students, to prepare for their return to school and complete end-of-season clean-up.
While most summer staffing is in place, PRRA is still accepting applications and will keep them on file for any future openings.
"If you’re particularly interested, apply. If nothing else, we’ll keep it on file for the future," adds Major.
Registration for PRRA’s leadership courses is also open. The ‘Swim for Life’ course is scheduled for May 23-24 and June 6-7, with the recertification course planned for June 8 (dates could change). Anyone interested can register now on their website in preparation for the opening of Splash Island on June 2.
During June, both the indoor Shindleman Aquatic Centre and Splash Island are bustling with school field trips and special events. Later in the month, regular indoor programming will wind down, allowing for annual maintenance.
"In July, we do shut down for a couple of weeks to allow for the kind of maintenance that can only take place when there’s nobody in the pool," continues Major.
A timeless summer attraction
Despite being a decades-old facility, Splash Island remains a major summer attraction, drawing visitors from across Manitoba and beyond.
"We don't have any formal tracking process, but lots of people anecdotally will tell us where they're coming from. It's typically for just a casual day trip from the city or they're from out of province visiting family. We've even had people stop by on a road trip across the country just for an activity; people come from all over!”
As spring birthdays fill the calendar, the PRRA's party room at the Shindleman Aquatic Centre continues to be a top pick for gatherings.
" The pool party package is always popular. It gets you some room time, and then it passes into public swimming. Even if it's booked up and you're set on a certain day, you can always bring a group to a public swim," notes Major.
Whether it's camps, swimming, or family fun, there’s sure to be something for everyone to dive into again this year at the PRRA.