Education blog

Summer in Canada means fun in the sun and for a lot of children this means excitement-filled days at summer camps.

While some parents send their offspring to summer schools so that they won’t fall behind in an increasingly competitive world, others are of the mindset that kids need to be kids. The summer holidays, usually about 10 weeks in Canada, is a break from academia and also an important part of their development.

Instead of subjecting a child to year-round academic overload, something child development specialists are divided on, many parents believe summer is a time for their kids to interact with other children, participate in sport and other activities, learn important life skills, go on family vacations and in general, relax.

In Surrey, British Columbia, a commuter city outside Vancouver, the Surrey SPCA (Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals) has been operating its popular summer camp for more than 15 years. From mid June through August, the organization holds five-day sessions for “campers” aging from eight to 12 to educate them about animal welfare issues of the wild, domestic and farm variety.

With the shelter sitting on a five-acre spread where urban development is increasingly encroaching on the once-remote site, the 22 campers attending the current session have first-hand interaction with dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, horses, llamas, gerbils, hamsters and even a rat.

Cradling a guinea pig in her arms, 10-year-old Caitlin Glover called the camp a wonderful experience and ideal for her future goal of becoming a veterinarian. The grade-five student said she had two dogs at home: Murphy, a one-year-old Shitz Zu, a breed originated in China; and Archie, a 12-year-old Cocker Spaniel.