City pitches Canada Day campout to accommodate July 1 revellers

Several city-owned parking lots could resemble RV parks next summer, if a plan to open them to Canada Day campers goes ahead.

The city is looking at opening 10 municipal lots to campers for one week to deal with the surge of visitors expected to descend on the capital next July to celebrate the country's 150th birthday.

Councillors Jean Cloutier and Mathieu Fleury, who both sit on the board of the non-profit organizing group Ottawa 2017, signalled Wednesday that a motion will come before the city's planning and rural affairs committees later this month.

"There are going to be so many big events that the hotels will fill up, so we need to offer some alternatives," said Mayor Jim Watson.

"If we can offer camping opportunities for people throughout the city and they can bring [an] RV or their camping equipment and it's a safe and secure spot, then I think that's a great idea," said Watson.

Staff have suggested the following sites could be turned into temporary campsites between June 29 to July 4, 2017:

• Cumberland Village Heritage Museum
• Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex
• Ray Friel Recreation Complex
• Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre
• St-Laurent Recreation Complex
• Nepean Sportsplex
• Earl Armstrong Arena & Trillium Park
• Kanata Leisure Centre
• Jim Durrell Recreation Centre
• Tom Brown Arena

The city would charge fees of $100 per night for up to six people to pitch a tent for five days, while RVs would pay anywhere from $160 to $210 per night. 

By way of comparison, a premium electrical site in an Ontario Provincial Park costs $51 per night, including tax.