Camp Tamaracouta’s outdoor chapel is seen in a photo dated Aug. 8, 1953. The Scouts’ camp, located in the Laurentians near Montreal, opened in 1912.Montreal Gazette archives

After sitting empty for more than seven years, Scouts Canada announced Thursday it has accepted an offer to sell the historic Camp Tamaracouta in the Laurentians

After sitting empty for more than seven years, Scouts Canada announced Thursday it has accepted an offer to sell, “temporarily closed” during the winter of 2018/2019.

Scouts Canada cited “significant safety, financial and environmental challenges” as reasons for the sale.

“After careful consideration of all potential options, Scouts Canada’s board of governors and the board of directors of the Quebec Property Society (Quebec Inc.) made the difficult decision to put TSR (Tamaracouta Scout Reserve) up for sale,” they wrote in a press release.

The property was sold to entrepreneur Eric Desroches, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the municipality of Mille-Isles. Desroches plans to preserve more than 80 per cent of the property for conservation while opening part of it to the public. The property transfer is expected this summer.

The camp, which ran for more than a century, held a special significance for thousands of campers who attended. Scouts Canada says they understand the “deep connection” that volunteers, parents and youth have to the property and that the sale will create opportunities for meaningful outdoor experiences in a safe and fun environment while ensuring the property is sustainable.

Since the camp’s closing in 2018, maintenance has cost $200,000 annually. Reopening the site would cost nearly $2 million in urgent repairs, according to the press statement.

“With our fiscal deficits and a membership base in Quebec not large enough to sustain operations, it was deemed that the camp would not be sustainable on a long-term basis,” Scouts Canada wrote.

A 2019 town hall meeting explored various solutions to reopen the camp, including partnerships and operational changes.

The decision to go ahead with the sale was made after a review by Quebec Inc. and the board of governors of Scouts Canada, with the support of Quebec Council leadership.

Proceeds from the sale will be held by Quebec Inc. to benefit youth in Quebec.

This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM.