Group appeals for changes to ‘needlessly stressful’ CampTO system

ABC Toronto seeking more equitable registration process

Published Jul 02, 2026  •  Last updated 18 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

CampTO is for kids aged 4 to 16 years old. The city operates more than 150 day camps across the city, many of them subsidized for low-income families. Photo by City of Toronto

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The annual early morning online competitions began this week for spots in Toronto summer camp programs. 

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“I am a parent and that scramble is just about the most stressful situation,” A Better City (ABC) Toronto board member Kelly Aizicowitz told the Toronto Sun. “You are hitting submit and you are praying that it comes back, that you get one of the spots. CampTO is incredible competitive and sometimes you (don’t get in), but there are the lucky kids and families that manage to get in. The whole process is needlessly stressful.” 

CampTO is for kids four to 16 years old. The city operates more than 150 day camps across the city, many of them subsidized for low-income families.  

ABC Toronto is a not-for-profit organization of concerned citizens who believe Toronto must become a highly livable city that is the envy of the world. 

Process needs to be more equitable: ABC

Beyond the early morning registration fight for table scraps, the organization has put together a list of other items they feel would make the process and camp availability more equitable across the board.  

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Items on that list include the doubling of CampTO capacity over five years along with using every available public space, such as libraries, schools or parks.  

That way, additional children get into the camp they desire and perhaps more young people find employment through the increased capacity.  

“There are lots of kids and teens looking for jobs in the summer,” Aizicowitz said. “I still see posts on Facebook about parents trying to get their kid a job somewhere. I think there is ample capacity across the city to add more.” 

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Parents need more support as well

Aizicowitz also feels the city needs to expand the human registration support.  

“There are a lot of families, a lot of newcomers who face language barriers and not everybody has fast Wi-Fi,” Aizicowitz said. “People take for granted that if you have it then everybody has it and that is not the case.” 

Despite the initial rush, the city’s website said spots are still open for camps across the city.  

“These measures should be treated as a starting point, not the finish line,” Aizicowitz said.”Toronto needs more CampTO spaces, a fairer allocation system and stronger support for families. ABC Toronto’s proposal would make registration more predictable for parents, more equitable for families and more responsive to the needs of a growing city.” 

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