Demand for campsites soars as camping season begins
Outdoor enthusiasts geared up for the unofficial start of camping season on Friday, ready for a long weekend full of adventures and memories.
Since the pandemic, camping has become the ultimate outdoor experience, with demand for campsites increasing among seasoned campers and first-timers.
"It's completely 100 per cent booked," said Lindsay Gardner with Barrie KOA Campground.
"We're expecting it to be very busy," noted Bass Lake Provincial Park's Superintendent Scott Thomas. "We're almost full, but there are a few spots left. Victoria Day long weekend is the first weekend of the year where campers all really try to get out into nature and enjoy themselves."
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local news updates sent to your inbox
Amanda Cookson is embarking on her first camping experience.
"We are super excited to try and figure it out for the first time, and I don't know, learn the ropes of camping."
"It was so amazing to see so many new people to camping whether that meant buying trailers, starting tent camping, or we also have four different cabin styles here," said Gardner.
"Here at Bass Lake, we have some new soft-sited shelters. Basically, tents with hard roofs over them that people are excited to try out," Thomas said.
One notable change in provincial park camping this year is the implementation of a seven or 14-night stay limit per visit in July and August at popular parks like Algonquin, as opposed to the previous 23-night limit, which is still in place at select locations.
Thomas noted Bass Lake is moving to a 14-night limit this summer, which allows more campers to enjoy the experience.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.