Our Best Canadian Camping Experiences
...so far!

Sleep Eeeze, Sinclair, Manitoba

Sleep Eeeze is basically a lumpy, grassy field in the centre of a small community, the campground announced by a faded, hand-painted sign which misspells donation as "donatien". Trees are scattered about, as are a variety of picnic tables. There is a single dusty flush toilet for each gender, each of which hadn't been used for some time and had amassed a splendid collection of insects and spiders (both dead and alive). We cleaned and disinfected both before using them! There are water taps and that's about it. It was absolutely quiet except for a few village noises — children playing, dogs barking. You leave a donation to the Lions Club in a metal box.

The Cove is absolutely the opposite. It is new and well-equipped, with excellent washrooms and showers. The pads are sandy (which means that they are soft and comfortable but sand gets into your tent). The location is wonderful. If you get there early enough you can camp right beside the sea, and watch the sun go down behind New Brunswick. The Cove is, however, very expensive in tenting terms ($15). And it is likely to be quite crowded at the height of the season. But we were there in September, and were the only tenters. We collected driftwood and burnt it to keep away the mosquitoes. Ralph swam briefly off the stoney beach.

Fairy Lake, Port Renfrew, B.C.

This is a free forestry site, with grassy areas scattered amongst mature trees and bushes. It's shady and quiet, though there are quite a few day-trippers about if the weather is good. There's even a Ranger to keep an eye on things

CAMPING