A new day‑camp program launched in Montreal this week is teaching children between nine and fourteen years old how to find their way around the city using paper maps rather than smartphones. The initiative, called Scouts urbains, operates as a day‑camp and is not affiliated with Scouts Canada.
The camp’s curriculum focuses on basic cartographic skills, route planning and on‑the‑ground navigation techniques. Participants are given printed maps of Montreal neighborhoods and are guided through exercises that require them to locate landmarks, plan trips to specific destinations and follow routes without digital assistance. The aim is to give young residents the confidence to travel independently in an urban environment without relying on mobile devices.
Scouts urbains follows a model that has been running in Toronto for ten years, where a similar program has provided comparable map‑reading instruction to local youth. The Montreal version adopts the same structure, offering a single‑day experience that mirrors the longer‑running Toronto camp while adapting content to the city’s distinct geography and transit layout.
Organisers say the camp responds to growing concerns that children are becoming overly dependent on GPS technology, potentially limiting their spatial awareness and ability to navigate unfamiliar areas. By emphasizing traditional map use, the program seeks to develop practical skills that can be applied in everyday travel, school outings and leisure activities.
The first session took place on 27 July 2026, and enrolment is open to residents of the Montreal area who fall within the target age range. The camp runs during daylight hours and does not require participants to bring electronic devices, reinforcing the focus on analogue navigation methods.
Scouts urbains hopes to expand its reach in future seasons, offering additional dates and possibly extending its activities to other age groups, while maintaining its core emphasis on paper‑based city navigation.