Camping In Ontario News October 2024
Update Special Edition
Camping In Ontario News October 2024
Camping In Ontario (CIO) is a member-based Association, comprised of small businesses located throughout the Province of Ontario. Our Association was started in 1969 by a group of campground owners that wanted to improve their businesses.
While the way we do things has changed over the years, our mandate remains the same:
“As a vital and active stakeholder in tourism, Camping In Ontario supports member campgrounds in the Province of Ontario by educating campground owners, marketing camping in Ontario to the general public and advocating to government.”
campinginontario.ca
A message from our Board Chair
This is my first message as the Chair of Camping In Ontario. I cannot believe it has been a year since I entered the role, and what a year it has been! The work of the Board, as well as the tireless efforts of all the staff at CIO have been instrumental in making these and so many other accomplishments happen. This past year has been one of many significant achievements and changes for the association:
• Passed important new By-laws which are compliant with ONCA (Not-for-profit Corporations Act)
• Changed our legal name to Camping In Ontario
• Had a decade of advocacy work result in a private members bill, Bill C-410. This bill if passed will hopefully resolve our ongoing CRA tax issue
• Continued to strengthen relationships with our CCRVA, RVDA and CRVA at the national level as it is truly so important that we all work together across the country to highlight and grow our industry
• Continued to work with our provincial partners to promote tourism and outdoor hospitality. Our work with TIAO (Tourism Industry Association of Ontario) and ORVDA continues to evolve and strengthen
• Successfully ran Level 1 and developed and ran Level 2 of the new and exciting Campground and Outdoor Hospitality Management Course. To date, we have had close to fifty campground owners/operators take these courses
Lastly, working with CCRVA to host the first national event in over a decade Thank you to Greg Rodgers and Chantal Thomas who are leaving the board this November. Thank you both for your time and contribution to the board. To the returning board members, thank you as well for donating your time, passion, and commitment to our industry.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the AGM next month.
Mark Jaycock Chair
Meet our 2024 Board of Directors
Mark Jaycock Chair Willow Lake Campground and RV Park Chair@campinginontario.com
April Hearns Secretary McGowan Lake Campground mcgowan.lake@gmail.com
Ellie Abucay-Giammattolo Past-Chair
Windmill Point Park & Campground ellie@windmillpointpark.com
Patricia Maat Treasurer
North Shore RV Park nshore@northshorepark.com
Chantal Thomas Pleasure Park RV Resort Inc. chantalcthomas@gmail.com
Dave Hillhorst Skycroft Campground Resort dave@skycroft.com
Matt Den Hollander Vice Chair Experience Camping Ltd. Vicechair@campinginontario.com
Greg Rodgers Whispering Pines Family Campground wpckiwanis@gmail.com
Peter Bingeman Country Gardens RV Park info@cgrvpark.ca
Lynn Cheeseman Killam Seasonal Resorts lcheeseman@KillamREIT.com
Cyndy Bonello Glen Haven Resort cyndy@glenhavenresort.com
Paula Rajkumar Islandveiw Trailer Park Info@islandpark.com
What happens at the AGM?
CAMPING IN ONTARIO
230 Westney Rd S, Suite 306
Ajax, ON L1S 7J5
Telephone: 289.660.2192
Toll Free: 877.672.2226
When you check in at registration you will be given copies of the Annual Report, the audited financial statements and a copy of the minutes of the last annual general meeting. Digital copies have been previously made available to you, however you will receive one copy per campground. Please review the documents in preparation for the meeting.
The Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The meeting starts promptly at 11:00 am.
The meeting is being held at Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, ON in Ballroom A & B
CIO staff will be at the AGM registration desk. Please give them the name of your campground. In the Association, the campground is the member, not the individual. Staff will mark your campground as present. We need to keep track of the number of attendees to ensure quorum. Quorum is 5% of our membership.
You will receive a paddle, which you will hold up when there is a vote. You are entitled to one paddle, which is equivalent to one vote.
Once you received your paddle, you must enter the AGM room. Once you have your paddle, please do not leave the room, at least not with the paddle.
After the AGM begins, the Chair of the meeting will begin to ask for votes. Instead of a show of hands, we ask that you raise your paddle.
We will provide a paper ballot, if required. You need to place the ballot into the ballot boxes. One paper vote per campground is handed out. It is for that reason that we ask that all members of the same campground sit together.
At the end of the AGM, an CIO staff member will collect the paddles from everyone. You are not allowed to keep them.
By-Law Update
Please read the attached By-Law documents prior to attending the AGM. Use the QR code above or click here to find the documents online, or call the office to request a printed copy.
Notice of Annual General Meeting
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting for the Membership of Camping in ontario will be held on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The Annual General Meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m and end at 12:30 p.m and will be held for the following purposes:
1. To receive and consider:
a) the Minutes of the 2023 Annual General Meeting;
b) Minutes of the Members Meeting
c) the reports of the auditors therein.
2. To elect Directors
3. To appoint the auditors of the association; and
4. To transact such further and other business as may properly come before the said meeting or any adjournments thereof.
Dated at Toronto, this 17th day of October, 2024.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF CAMPING IN ONTARIO
Per:
Mark Jaycock, Chair
Proxy Form
If you cannot attend Camping in Ontario’s 2024 Annual General Meeting but would like to make your vote count, please fill out this proxy form and return it to the Association office by Thursday, November 8th , 2024. Please make sure you indicate who is charged with your proxy.
The undersigned member of Camping in Ontatio hereby appoints Mark Jaycock, Chair or April Hearns, Secretary or failing her, as the proxy of the undersigned to attend, act and vote on behalf of the undersigned at the Annual General Meeting of the members of the said Corporation to be held on November 19th, 2024, and at any adjournment or adjournments thereof in the same manner, to the same extent and with the same power as if the undersigned were present at the said meeting or such adjournment or adjournment thereof.
Dated the day of 2024.
Name, Campground
Signature
It is the responsibility of the member to determine whether the person to whom they assign the proxy is able and agrees to act in the manner described.
Please ensure delivery of the completed proxy to: Camping In Ontario by no later than Thursday, November 7th, 2024 at 5:00 pm.
By email: opca@campinginontario.ca
By mail: 230 Westney Rd S, Suite 306, Ajax, ON L1S 7J5
Returning Board Members
Peter Bingeman
April Hearns
Peter and his wife Jan, together with their two youngest children Laura and Alan, own and operate their family of Campgrounds, Country Gardens RV Park (1999), Landings Campground (2011) and Whistle Bare Campground (2017). Peter has grown up in the camping industry. His father Jonas Bingeman was one of the founding members of Camping in ontario. Peter was involved in the association by being on the board many years ago. He has served as president of both the Ontario Campground Association and the National Campground Association. Peter has been involved with many campground issues involving MPAC, septic, and water. Peter has returned as a board member to help address and advise with the current issues involving Daily Sewage Flow (DSF) and the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP).
Peter and Jan have been married for 42 years and have four children Jill(Dylan), Emily(Lee), Laura and Alan(Alycia), And the proud grandpa to 14 grandchildren.
Peter enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his family and dog Lucy.
Lynn Cheeseman
As a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience at Killam Apartment REIT, I’ve had the privilege of leading the company’s property management devision as Director of Seasonal Resorts and manufactured home communities. My portfolio spans 3,400+ sites, including 9 seasonal campgrounds across Ontario and New Brunswick, and 14 manufactured home communities in Ontario and Nova Scotia. a key responsibility is to ensure our operations are aligned with Killam’s corporate strategy, and that we are operating with integrity in adherence to Government regulations and local health authorities, With a strong background in executive administration from my tenure in corporate and university sectors, I’ve developed adaptability, effective communication, and strategic planning skills. My expertise ensures seamless alignment with Killam’s corporate strategy, adherence to government regulations, and commitment to integrity.
Byond my role at Killam, I’m passionate about community involvement. As the newly elected President of the New Brunswick Campground Owners Association, I’m dedicated to advancing the industry. I also volunteer with the Canadian ski patrol.
As a corporate member of the Camping in Ontario Association, I’ve gained valuable insights from private ownership, fostering knowledge sharing and best practices. Our goal is to continually enhance our properties, staying attuned to industry trends and peer innovations
I am the owner/operator of McGowan Lake Campground in Eastern Ontario, located along the south side of Highway 7. We have 175 seasonal sites and 50 overnight sites. McGowan Lake Campground has been in my family for 43 years. I am a third generation owner and just finished my Ninth season. I didn’t always want to be a campground owner. I remember in my teens telling my mom and fellow campers that there was no way I would take it over. So I ended up leaving for Carleton University where I studied business and law eventually graduating with my honours in law. I quickly realized that city life was not for me so I ventured back out to the country. No legal jobs available in the area and a mom who was ready to retire and a new plan was born.
My husband Rob has since joined me full time and our two kids Robyn and Riley are always willing to lend a hand where they can. We are a family friendly campground and with so many new young families coming in our park is very busy and full of energy all the time.
We like to think our park is one of the “back to basics” campgrounds with many unserviced tent sites, a beautiful spring fed lake and believe it or not, no wifi. While our seasonals have the option to get satellite, and now recently their own internet, a lot of them are very happy with coming up and spending time with the family at the beach or playgrounds or even some of our many events. This tradition I will try to continue while adapting to the many new technological advancements that come our way. Continuing to learn and practicing great customer service is something I strive for everyday as a campground owner and I am enjoying every minute of it.
Dave Hillhorst
I was born and raised in Kingston On. Spent 17 years on the road owning my own rig, racking up nearly 4 million kilometers during that time. Visited every state and most provinces. Only exception is Newfoundland and the Territories but on the list.
After a number of years looking to retire from driving I fluked, literally fluked upon Skycroft. We had a reservation which I went online to confirm, close to my arrival and if it was not for the Skycroft website crashing at that time, I would have never known it was for sale. Needless to say, since it crashed, Google search kicked in and that was the way I found out it was for sale as listed through Camping in Ontario. While camping here in 2010 I thought, “Wouldn’t be a bad gig. Work all summer, off all winter. I could do this”. Requested the financials, took them to highly respected accountant and invested in a proper analysis as this was a very very big purchase. Things were golden Previous owners did everything right and didn’t hide anything. That said, I was all
in. Unfortunately so was a bunch of others. The sellers, not looking for the highest bidder only wanted someone to carry it on. They picked someone from the states however due to the economy crash at the time they were unable to sell off their property and were forced to back out. I was their second choice cause I showed the most interest and admiration. Had they been looking for the highest bidder, I might have had to bow out if it went over asking by a nickel haha. Today Jim, Anne and I are great friends and the park is doing extremely well. Just winding down my 11th very successful season. We currently have 83 sites and in the permit stage of going up to 228 sites. Hoping permit in hand by this fall. We offer forested camping which best described as Provincial Park vibe. We offer seasonal and overnight camping, pontoon rentals, fishing boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards as well have 60 boat slips. We also have an extensive trail hiking system with 20km of trails over about a 1,000 acres plus one of the only spots where the Rideau and Cataraqui or Trans Canada trail intersect giving us unlimited hiking status. As well we recently built a wood fired oven, which put out amazing wood fired pizzas all hand-made by myself. We are growing and growing very strong with absolutely no regrets.
Matt is well acquainted in the campground industry as an owner of multiple campgrounds, an RV dealership, and as a real estate broker specializing in campground sales. At a young age he realized the value in both real estate and customer service and has been able to put these attributes to work in the campground world. As an avid camper himself, Matt has a heart for the industry, and the zeal to defend it. Matt purchased his first campground in 2016 and has continued to grow since then. Whether by expansion or acquisition, he has found his entrepreneurial spirit is right at home in the campground industry. Matt has campgrounds in Huron, Bruce, Grey and Perth Counties and has recently branded his campgrounds as Experience Camping Ltd”. Matt has the knowledge and experience in all facets of campground ownership. This includes the challenges and hurdles that the industry faces such as the RTA, CRA tax implications, and MOE Regulations. Matt has 4 children who enjoy camping and helping their dad at the campgrounds as much as they can.
Mark Jaycock
Mark along with his wife Melanie own Willow Lake Campground and RV Park in Woodstock Ontario. Willow Lake Campground has an 80 year history in the area, and has 23 year round sites, 22 seasonal sites, 5 cabins, and 39 overnight sites. Mark and Melanie bought the campground in 2017 and have enjoyed an incredible start to their new adventure. Mark’s background has been varied including experience in retail, hospitality and most recently in senior Human Resource roles. Mark is a graduate
of Georgian College’s Tourism Management program, as well as Human Resources from York University. Mark’s hospitality career began years ago when he followed a dream and worked for Walt Disney World in Florida, and it was then he got the bug for exceptional customer service and began to follow the path in which he could provide comparable experiences here at home. After Disney, Mark spent time working for the Toronto Zoo in management roles looking after Guest Services, as well as all retail operations. Mark then started to get into the retail world when the Disney Stores came to Canada. Mark was part of the team that opened the very first Disney Store at the Toronto Eaton Center, then went on to manage the Yorkdale location. Following that, he began the move to his HR career, and worked for Chapters/Indigo, Walmart, Home Depot and wrapped up his HR career as National Director of Human Resources/Field Operations for Lowes Canada. Mark enjoyed his corporate life, but doesn’t look back for a second now that they own Willow Lake Campground and RV Park.
Patricia Maat
Hello fellow owners. My name is Patricia Maat. Our Campground, North Shore RV Park, is a family run business that my parents became the owners of in 2004, when my family moved here from the Netherlands. I am now in the process of taking over the campground after having spent almost a decade being an active part of the business. Prior to this, I spent a few years exploring other career opertunities. Durring my time away from the park, I spent time in retail sales as well as management, attended Loyalist Collage and got my Automotive Technician Certificate, and spent a few years in automotive sales. I have also continued my education by taking some business and accounting courses through Loyalist College. Currently, my main roles are trailer sales, site rentals and reservations and day to day operations. I have also gained a lot of knowledge about infrastructure over the last few years from working alongside my dad. In the last 20 years, i have attended all but three or four years of camping in ontario conventions, which has allowed me to learn alot about the industry. Our campground offers seasonal sites, overnight sites, rental cottages, as well as boat docks, giving me experience in dealing with all of these different aspects of the business. Being on the Camping in Ontario board for the last few years has been such a rewarding experience. It has greatly helped me being able to help out other campground owners, as well as continuing to learn about this amazing industry.
Cyndy Bonello
Hi! My name is Cyndy Bonello and I’m the owner of Glen Haven Resort in Region 11 on the amazing Big Gull Lake in Arden. We are a small resort with 28 sites and we have just finished our third season at the resort, but it didn’t start there. My first foray into the camping industry started with my inlaws who owned Sandaraska Park in Pontypool, Ontario where my husband and I also resided for 10 years helping out whenever necessary. Prior to that, my in-laws’ family business was in trailer sales and service, so it’s been a long running history for our family. Being a small resort doesn’t change the lessons learned or the do’s and don’ts of running a campground.
My business background includes a number of positions, but the ones that I feel most help me in the campground ownership world is my long time career in the gaming industry. You may wonder why that helps me in campground ownership, well, that’s a great question. While I was with Ontario Lottery and Gaming, and other gaming providers one of my main functions was policy enforcement. That is, understanding and ensuring compliance with policy and process in regulated environments and dealing with regulators in many countries. So I understand policy and process with government agencies and know how to interpret the policy documents written by government entities. I’m also a certified ACT, which is an Authorized Court Transcriptionist, that involves the word for word transcription of court proceedings.
For many years I also served on a not for profit board, including serving as the board president, so I have an understanding of board processes and what it takes to serve on a board. I still sit on a board for the local municipality for the economic development of the municipality that we reside in.
Paula Rajkumar
I am the second generation owner of Islandview Trailer Park. It is a 68-site seasonal park located in Coboconk, Ontario. We are a family business that I managed for 7 years and have owned for 5 years, taking over from my in-laws.
I earned my Honours Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. In my science career I worked as a Research Laboratory Technician. Following that I transitioned to teaching biology and chemistry in high school. As a trailer park owner I do everything from office work to chain sawing and have been able to build upon the skills from my previous careers helping me in my day to day operation of the park. Over my time managing the park, CIO has been an important resource for me. The connections I have made have been invaluable both professionally and personally. I have been able to improve so many areas of my business because of the help of CIO members. I want to help others learn as much as I have from this great community.
Candidates Seeking Election as Board Member
Warren Sheridan
Warren, along with his wife Marnie, are the proud owner / operators of three seasonal campgrounds, all of which are situated on the shores of lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario.
In 2014, Warren and Marnie’s adventure in campground ownership began with the acquisition of Shore Acres Trailer Park in Port Dover, Ontario. Finding early success in the business, they were quick to expand their operation via the purchace (2017) of Highland RV Resort in Lowbanks, Ontario. The opportunity to further grow arose in 2019, as Warren and Marnie added the Lakewood RV Resort to their family of campgrounds in totality, their operation represents more than 600 sites covering 110 acres of Lake Erie shoreline. Upon the acquisition of Lakewood, Warren joined forces fulltime with Marnie after a successful ten-year career in financial services marketing. Warren and Marnie are active owners who can often be found together on-site interacting with campers, suporting their team ot tackling the inevitable leaks, cracks and breaks that occur over the course of the camping season. Warren and marnie have three children and reside in Burlington, Ontario. When not at a campground, the Sheridan family enjoy sunny days at the beach in the summer and snowy afternoons on the slopes in the winter
Camping In Ontario is the representative body of privately and publicly owned and operated campgrounds in the province of Ontario. The Camping In Ontario team works on behalf of the campground members by lobbying government on issues that affect their business, negotiating cost savings on the products and services they use every day, and market camping in Ontario.
Executive and Staff
Alexandra Anderson Executive Director aanderson@campinginontario.ca
Sandra Galego Membership Coordinator info@campinginontario.ca
Rebecca Cabral Senior Manager, Public Affairs & Communications rcabral@campinginontario.ca
Sarah North-Harris Director of Education education@campinginontario.ca
Board of Directors
Mark Jaycock Chair
Willow Lake Campground Chair@campinginontario.com
April Hearns Secretary McGowan Lake Campground mcgowan.lake@gmail.com
Patricia Maat
Treasurer North Shore RV Park nshore@northshorepark.com
Cyndy Bonello Glen Haven Resort Cyndy@glenhavenresort.com
Paula Rajkumar
Islandveiw Trailer Park Info@islandpark.com
Peter Bingeman Country Gardens RV Park info@cgrvpark.ca
Lynn Cheeseman Killam Seasonal Resorts lcheeseman@KillamREIT.com
Dave Hilhorst Skycroft Campground Resort dave@skycroft.com
Matt Den Hollander Vice Chair Experience Camping Ltd. Vicechair@campinginontario.com
Greg Rodgers Whispering Pines Family Campground wpckiwanis@gmail.com
Chantal Thomas Pleasure Park RV Resort Inc. chantalcthomas@gmail.com
campinginontario.ca
230 Westney Road South, Suite 306 Ajax, Ontario L1N 2J5
Telephone: 289.660.2192
Toll Free: 877.672.2226
Membership Inquiries membership@campinginontario.ca
Connect with us