Crown Land Camping Permits

[Guest YQT]

Just wondering......

Well aware of the Camping permits required for non-residents, I've seen plenty of the signs during my days with the MTO.

Since I'm a non-resident now, I've paid the fees for camping on crown land for the last 3 years. Now, looking at the MNR site, I saw the the following:

If you are a non-resident of Canada, 18 years of age or older and wish to camp on Crown lands north of French and Mattawa rivers, a Crown Land Camping Permit is required, unless:

-Non residents are 18 years of age or older and are renting a camping unit (a camping unit can include a tent, trailer, tent-trailer, recreational vehicel or camperback) from a commercial outfitter in Ontario

-Visitors are staying on watercraft equiped for overnight accomodation, anchored on a Crown land water bed and not located within a regulated (green) zone or other signed prohibited area.

-Non-residents and their immediate family own property in Ontario, although however access to regulated (green) zones remains prohibited

So my question, I personally, nor my wife own property in Ontario, however my parents do. Am I exempt from paying the fee?

[Guest MNR]

MNR Answer: (originally posted April 2007) Update as of Sept 2007

In my original answer to this question, exemption was given to children and spouses of the registered owner of land in Ontario from the requirement of crown land camping fees. The regulation has changed and effective Sept. 2007 the exemption extends to the spouse only.

So now the short answer is no, you are not exempt from paying the Crown Land Camping Permit fees if you are a son or daughter of a person who owns real property in Ontario.

The Crown Land Camping Regulation ONTARIO REGULATION 326/94 states the following:

2. (1) No non-resident who is 18 years of age or older shall camp on Crown land unless,

(a) he or she is camping under the authority of a Crown land camping permit;

( he or she is using a camping unit rented from a person who carries on business in Ontario;

© he or she owns real property in Ontario or is the spouse of a person who owns property in Ontario;

(d) he or she is a member or person in charge of a charitable or non-profit group that is camping with the permission of the local district manager of the Ministry; or

(e) he or she is carrying out duties required by lawful employment in Canada. O. Reg. 326/94, s.2 (1); O. Reg. 314/07, s. 2 (1).

(2) The fee for a Crown land camping permit is $9.35 which includes an issuing fee of 50 cents. O. Reg. 326/94, s.2 (2).

(3) Where a Crown land camping permit is surrendered before its expiry, a refund of the fee paid for the permit may be made upon application to an area supervisor of the Ministry. O. Reg. 326/94, s. 2 (3); O. Reg. 314/07, s. 2 (2).

“spouse” means,

(a) a spouse as defined in section 1 of the Family Law Act, or

( either of two persons who live together in a conjugal relationship outside marriage. O. Reg. 326/94, s. 1; O. Reg. 314/07, s. 1.