Some outdoor Canadians are planning to build their tents with elbows this summer while the season unofficially starts this long weekend.
Sally Turner says that she and her husband plan to have their campsite, their canoe and their bike this year in Canadian national parks, including in Jasper National Park this weekend, due to the American trade war and calls from US President Donald Trump to make Canada a 51st state.
“In the past, I have camped in the United States, but that will not happen in the near future,” said Turner during his purchases for camping equipment in Edmonton.
“Most people I know choose a lot of camping in Canada. Elbows. “
Many Canadian campers say that Donald Trump’s prices and his comments on the creation of Canada The 51st State convinced them to cancel trips to the United States this summer in favor of the campsite north of the border.
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Albertan Travis Pegg, however, said that he was indifferent to the trade war.
“The price of fuel and the cost of access to the United States would have more influence on the fact that I came up or not, not the pricing war,” said Pegg, a resident of Wainwright, a city southeast of Edmonton.
“I do not worry about anything for which I can do nothing. It just causes stress. I’m just trying to survive. “
Summer plans for some children were also affected by the pricing war, explains the head of the Canadian Camping Association, who increases and oversees the summer camps for young people across the country.
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Executive director Matt Wilfrid says that fewer children are registered in summer camps this year due to the economic uncertainty that Trump’s prices have created.
Wilfrid said more parents have asked questions about reimbursement policies and payment plans in their camps.
He said that a growing number of camps are struggling with budgets for the summer, the cost of food, activities and staff has become unpredictable.
“Management of a summer camp is similar to the planning of a wedding for thousands of people who do not know each other,” said Wilfrid.
It is still at the start of the campsite season, but Alberta Parks experienced a 25% increase in reserves compared to the same period last year.
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During his electoral campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney was one of Canadians calling on people to celebrate the country after Trump’s threats going to his national parks.
He is committed to creating a “strong pass in Canada” that would make access to national parks for free for the summer.
“Whether it is trips to national parks and historic sites, spend the day in a national art gallery or a museum, or a Canadian hike, my new government will help the next generation discover that all of Canada has to offer this summer,” he said.
“We are a proud country – and united, we will strengthen our Canadian identity in the face of this crisis.”
The Carney office did not answer questions about the status of this commitment.
The owners of small businesses which are aimed at the tourism industry, such as those of the small community of Bragg Creek, west of Calgary, are delighted with the increase in visitors.
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Back on the meadows, Alberta Parks said he saw an increase of approximately 25% of reservations thanks to its camping system for March and April compared to the previous year.
But Alexandru Cioban, press secretary of the Minister of Forests Todd Loewen, said that it was difficult to say if the increase is due to the tariff war.
Ontario Parks says it is on the right track to have booking numbers very similar to its latest years – around 12 million.
“I have no live statistics easily available in terms of American visitors, but (i) can say that more than 90% of our visitors come from Ontario,” said spokesperson Dave Hunt in an email.
Parks Canada said the demand for camping reservations continues to be strong this summer.
He indicates that 17% of visitors to parks came from the United States in 2023-24 and 16% from abroad.
“The constant interest highlights the sustainable attraction of natural heritage in Canada and the importance of protecting these sites for future generations,” he said in an email.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press