All employed staff have active certification in standard First Aid & CPR Level C and are our first level of response. Staff are trained to observe camper health throughout the day, looking for any symptoms that require attention. Campers are regularly encouraged to drink water and apply sunscreen. If a camper expresses or demonstrates a symptom of sickness or injury that requires additional attention, a leader will bring them to our Wellness Centre for assessment from a member of our Resource Team or Camp Director. Protocol in our Wellness Centre follows directives authorized by our on-call camp doctor.

When a camper presents symptoms beyond a typical camp health concern, parents are contacted. If a typical camp health concern persists and is not improving as expected, a parent/guardian is contacted. If a camper requires emergency medical attention, we will call 911 and then contact parents to inform and arrange meeting at the hospital. If a camper requires non-emergency medical attention, we will consult with the parent/guardian and then initiate the agreed upon plan regarding the doctor or hospital visit.

All medications delivered and camper assessment/treatments are recorded according to our Wellness protocols. Thorough written documentation is kept so that information about incidents and follow ups are easy to access if needed. Camper confidentiality is taken very seriously. Only the Camp Director and senior Resource Team access camper health records. Specific information is shared with specific leaders or the Kitchen Manager, as needed only, to ensure health and safety of the camper. 

A summer spent outdoors in Southern Ontario comes with the understanding and awareness of the increasing number of ticks in our region. Canterbury Hills Camp is unfortunately not immune to this new trend, and as such, precautions are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all campers and staff. According to the Hamilton Conservation Authority, dog ticks (which DO NOT transmit Lyme disease) are the most commonly found ticks in the region. Deer ticks (which DO transmit Lyme disease) are also present, though seen less often. As Canterbury Hills Camp backs onto the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, we have considerable access to forests, creeks, and open fields that our campers love to explore, and that ticks love to inhabit. As such, we follow Conservation Authority guide lines regarding tick bite prevention and identification.

Tips to Prevent Tick Bites

• Wear light-coloured clothing outdoors (it makes ticks easier to spot)
• Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when in tall grasses and bushes
• Wear socks and close toe shoes
• Tuck your pants into your socks
• Use a tick repellent that contains DEET or lcaridin and follow the manufacturer’s directions for application. Apply the repellent to your skin and outer clothing, but avoid your eyes and mouth, as well as cuts and scrapes
• Check your pet for ticks
• Avoid areas known to be infested with ticks when possible

As considerable time at camp is spent outdoors, our staff are trained to lead campers through regular daily self-tick checks, especially following time spent in tall grasses or the forest. Staff also know to encourage campers to wear the appropriate clothing and footwear, so ensure your camper always has closed toed shoes and long sleeve shirts and pants available to them while at camp.

As ticks like warm places, it is always recommended to check the following areas when performing a tick-check:

• head and hair
• in and around the ears
• under the arms
• around the chest
• back (use a mirror or ask for help)
• waist
• belly button
• around the groin
• legs and behind the knees
• between the toes

As campers are often excited with activities, and ticks can be very small, it is highly encouraged that you perform a tick check with your child upon their return home from camp. When doing so, look for small dark dots and feel for bumps, particularly in the above areas mentioned. Remember, young ticks can be as small as about 1.15mm!

What Happens if a Tick Bite is Discovered?

If a tick is found to have bitten someone at camp, best practice is that the person bitten comes to the Wellness Centre, where a member of our senior staff, called the Resource Team, will remove it. Campers should not remove ticks by themselves, as removing them incorrectly can result in the tick’s head being left under their skin.

Once the tick is removed, it is bagged and labeled with the campers name and the date of the removal, and is kept onsite in case it needs to be sent to Public Health for testing. Camp Staff will monitor the bite-location for the following days to see if any symptoms of Lyme disease occur, and will pass on information regarding the bite to the parents or guardians picking up the camper. Please note, that a tick must be attached for more than 24 hours for the transmission of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to occur. This is why daily tick checks are so essential. If you find a tick on your child at home, send it to Public Health to be tested, or if your camper starts showing symptoms of Lyme disease, please let us know!