Parents struggle with day camp costs amid Alberta teachers’ strike

As the Alberta teachers’ strike continues to disrupt classrooms across the province, Calgary parents are turning to day camps to fill the gap—but many say the cost is becoming a severe burden.

The City of Calgary has published a list of camps and daytime activities to support families during the strike. However, some of these programs come with steep price tags.

For example, the Confluence camp charges $67 per day—more than double the $30 per child subsidy offered by the Alberta government for children under 12 affected by the strike.

For single parents like Rowila Rosbero, the math doesn’t add up.

“If I’m going to put my kids in camps, I don’t think I can afford it, ’cause I am a single mom,” Rosbero said.

Kathleen Tuffnail, also a single mother, echoed the concern, saying, “A lot of us are single parents. I’m a single mother, so it’s just income that I bring in—I can’t afford those camps.”

Tuffnail added that the timing of the strike has compounded the financial pressure.

“You had all the stuff that you had to buy for back to school, and then all of a sudden this happens, and what are you supposed to do?” she said.

Fiona Chung, another parent, said her children attended a camp earlier this week, but the provincial subsidy didn’t stretch far.

“They actually used up the whole week quota already,” Chung said.

In a statement to CityNews, the City of Calgary said its camps are competitively priced and designed to offer engaging programming for children. The city also highlighted its recreation assistance program, which provides financial support to lower-income families.

The strike, which began on Monday, involves 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and affects over 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate, and francophone schools. The teachers rejected the provincial government’s latest offer, which included a 12 per cent pay increase over four years, a promise to hire 3,000 new teachers, and funding for COVID-19 vaccines.

In response to the strike, the Alberta government has introduced several support measures, including the $30 per day subsidy for children under 12.

A complete list of available camps and activities can be found on the City of Calgary’s website.