The RVs staying longer at Walmart than at the campground in 2003
Sightseeing trend caught The National's attention more than 20 years ago
The campers had lots of reasons to be piloting their RVs toward Walmart parking lots.
They could stop and also shop, as they made their way across Canada, without paying a fee to do so.
And while that was convenient for campers, it wasn't so convenient for the people running campgrounds and RV parks.
That trend and its related tensions caught the eye of The National in the late summer of 2003.
An appeal in saving 'a few bucks'...
"These days, RVs crisscrossing the continent often find the nearest Walmart parking lot and set up camp for the night," reporter Laurie Graham told viewers on Sept. 1, 2003.
"Walmart has even published a North American atlas so campers can travel from one parking lot to another."
In Halifax, CBC caught up with a Colorado couple who were drawn to the financial advantages of spending their nights in Walmart locations.
"Any time you can save a few bucks, that's the name of the game," Dan Harnke said.
...but no appeal for campground operators
That's not the kind of thing campground operator Glen Musgrave liked to hear.
He owned a campground in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley and he believed he was losing business due to what Walmart was offering its customers.
Musgrave said such campers were spending three or four nights at a Walmart, before staying just a single night at his own campground — where they would empty their sewage tanks and then move on.
Those short visits were costing his business money.
Accommodating shoppers and sleepers
A Walmart spokesman said the retailer's policy was to not turn customers away, which Graham said included "those who show up to sleep."
"Running your business means running a community business and that means taking a community approach to that business," said Andrew Pelletier, who said most guests staying in Walmart parking lots were only there for overnight stays.
"In this case, that means working with the RV parks [that] have the concern."
Graham said various Canadian campground operators hoped to push for legislation that would force campers to spend their nights in campgrounds.
