Just like in a movie...

In the mid 90’s, young teacher Yves Latour, aka Zoulou, launched Sportmax. To his great surprise, his idea of offering a small day camp during the summer vacations laid the groundwork for the creation of a large network that, 25 years later, has brought tens of thousands of smiles from satisfied children.

The small day camp was relocated to Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse and Sportmax’s mission took shape: to offer children specialized day camps that combine fun and learning. It was an innovative undertaking at a time when the landscape was dominated by playgrounds and regular day camps. A camp counsellor, Tournevis, made his debut there, and was far from suspecting what the adventure would hold for him…

Building on the success of the camps at Collège Lionel-Groulx, which attracted more than 2,500 children each summer, Sportmax began its expansion with the opening of a second site, this time at Cégep de Saint-Laurent. The concept was refined, the choice of specialties increased, and the kids loved it!

In the early 2000s, the network expanded in the Montreal area and reached the Outaouais region. After a few summers of animation, Tournevis became one of the coordinators. It was at this time that the logistical organization was perfected. The guidance of the employees improved, and the theme-oriented atmosphere became central to the activities offered. A new counsellor also made his debut: Speaker. Yet another staff member who had no idea how far this summer job would take him!

Tournevis joined the management team while Speaker was promoted to coordinator. The excellent reputation of Sportmax made it a leading brand and allowed for the continued development of its network of day camps. More than 10,000 children participated each summer. The care taken with logistics, the talent of the animation team and the variety of choices of specialties then become the 3 cornerstones of the “Sportmax quality”.

Speaker joined Tournevis on the management team, along with Chloramine, who was responsible for managing activity centers and aquatic facilities, a fast-growing sector for the company. As for the camps, several changes were underway and culminate in the unveiling, in the summer of 2012, of a new brand image. The new image perfectly sums up Sportmax’s mission: to make sure that children, parents, and employees all want to shout, “I love my day camp!”

With the conviction that the strength of a day camp lies in the passion and sense of belonging of its employees, Tournevis and Speaker created the end-of-summer gala Les Zoulous d’Or. Thanks to the breathtaking opening acts imagined and directed by the inseparable duo and the involvement of all team members, this great celebration rewards the best in camp animation and organization every summer. The same year, the Fan Club website was created, allowing children and parents to establish and maintain a close tie with the day camps.

The first Les Fouineux camp was created in Île-Bizard, Montreal, with a focus on the importance of learning while having fun. A second network was then launched, offering a more traditional camp formula to curious children, combined with a distinctive touch: specialized workshops offered to all. At the same time, the specialized camps continued to expand.

Sportmax founder Yves Latour and his partner, France Brouillette, are passing the torch to the trio of Tournevis, Speaker and Chloramine. At the heart of the company’s development for many years, the new partners are carrying on the growth and adding, between 2018 and 2024, numbers of new day camps locations.

Today, Sportmax is proud to offer high quality day camps to nearly 25,000 children each summer and a life-changing employment experience to over 700 students. For thousands of parents, our camps provide the satisfaction of having made the right choice year after year. And the trio now at the helm of the company can see the magnitude of the adventure they started while they were still students!

Join us and be a part of our adventure. We are confident that you will love our day camps as much as we do!