Registration for youth summer programs underway

Mike Lawrence - Staff Writer

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, Sioux Lookout families will again have the opportunity to enroll their children in a number of summer programs.
As Sioux Lookout Municipal Recreation and Culture Department Manager Rony Chakroborty explained, “As the summer season is around the corner, and with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the Recreation and Culture Department is very excited to offer Minor Soccer, Minor Baseball, Volleyball and Summer Day Camp. The early bird registrations for the sports activities started Wednesday, April 12, and the Summer Camp Registrations will follow after. COVID-19 was a big challenge to conduct these camps, but this year we want to give the youth and kids the experiences they have missed out on over the last two years.” 
Chakroborty shared, “Registration for the programs will continue until June 17, which is 10 days before the start of the sports programs. This will give the staff enough time to plan efficiently for the participants and make all our programs fun and exciting. The main aim of these programs will be to make them fun, engaging and above all, to structure them in such a way that they will include every participant.”
The hope is to have all of the sport programs running by the end of June. Chakroborty notes, “We plan to start the minor sports programs on June 27 and have them run until August 15. The age range will be from 5 to 13 years old, divided into age groups.”
Parents/guardians can register their children at the Sioux Lookout Recreation Centre front desk.  There will be options for cash, credit or debit card.  Chakraborty added, “There will also be a Minor Sports Program Poster put on social media and at the Recreation Centre complex that will display the prices and other details. The staff at the front desk will also be able to provide the required information over phone or email.”
The cost to register for minor sports will be $50 per program/per child. Registration for summer camp will vary as follows: for regular weeks the cost will be $140 and for weeks that contain statutory holidays the rate will be $115. Adding lunch options for day campers will cost an additional $50. Chakroborty also noted that, should families need it, before and after camp care can be provided, stating, “If parents want to drop their child off before camp starts, or want their child to stay after the regular camp hours, the pricing would be $10 for the morning and $10 for the evening.” 
“The registration for the Minor Sports Programs have already started but we are holding off on the Summer Camp registrations for now,” Chakroborty stated, adding, “The Summer Camp registrations will start soon, and an update will be posted on the Municipal Website and other social media platforms when those registrations open up.”
Registration forms and more information can be found at the Municipal Recreation Facilities and Programs website at https://bit.ly/37k5eUa.