You see, back around 2007 there was a move by the Nova Scotia Campground Owners Association to force an old law to ban RV parking at Walmarts. The campground owners mistakenly figured they were losing money. The Nova Scotia government stood behind the campground owners association.
There was an almost immediate drop in tourism to the province.
Well, some people figure that this ban is still in place. And in fact, it was never about the type of "remote" boondocking that we do. It was to stop RVs from parking at Walmarts, and force them to go to a campground.
Sherman parked up at St. James Parish Church near Port Dufferin, Nova Scotia.
In June of 2010, the government realized what they had done wrong. They rescinded the law and wrote it off as a bad experience issuing the following report at the time...
“The Tourist Accommodations Act remains the law of the land in Nova Scotia, however, officials of the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage have stated that RV owners, as well as landowners are not committing an offence by simply parking or allowing parking overnight of an RV in a parking lot (i.e.: shopping mall parking lots and other private property). According to the earlier interpretation of a provision in the Tourist Accommodations Act, a private landowner who did not have a campground license was subject to prosecution if he/she allowed RVers who were members of the travelling public to park overnight on his/her property. Since the law was enacted in 1994-95 no property owner has ever been prosecuted for violation of this provision, nevertheless, otherwise RV friendly property owners would have been intimidated by the mere threat of legal sanction.”
Of course, why anybody would want to overnight at a Walmart when there are so many better opportunities is beyond us! We simply can't figure it out.
Where Sherman was parked up for the night at the harbour of Ingonish, Nova Scotia.
Sherman parked up for the night at Margaree Harbour, Nova Scotia.
Looking down on Sherman boondocking in a little cove near Morden, Nova Scotia.
Sherman (at far left) parked up for the night at the Hampton Harbour, Hampton, Nova Scotia.
Sherman parked up at the end of Lighthouse Road at Prim Point near Digby, Nova Scotia.
Ruth,Whiskey and Sherman at Pond Cove on Brier Island on the Digby Neck, Nova Scotia.
Sherman parked up for the night near Inverness, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Sherman parked up along side a quiet road just outside of Cheticamp, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
End of another great day boondocking in Nova Scotia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhinoflex Sewer Hose Kit. This is the exact same sewer hose that we use. We've had it for eight years now, and it's as good as new! If you're due for a replacement, this is the one to buy...
You have found some amazing boondocking places. You also tend to do a lot of research of possible spots so that definitely pays off.
ReplyDeleteYes, we normally do our research beforehand but there are times when we just happen upon a nice spot and then we both look at each other, smile and nod as, yes this is a great spot lets stay. :-)
DeleteI rarely get a good night's sleep in Walmart lots, but I use them for two reasons: 1. After a long driving day, it's a lot easier to find a Walmart after dark, than a good boondocking site. 2. If it recently rained, Walmart pavement is better than getting stuck in the mud. Don't ask me how I know these things :)
ReplyDeleteWell there's your problem Dugg, you have too long a driving day! ;-) If you do some research ahead of time you can find what looks to be a good spot earlier in the day and then check it out. If it isn't suitable then you still have time to drive on and find something else. Also if we are sure about the road we are suppose to use, normally Kevin will park the motorhome and then walk further down the road to check things out first, he has even ridden his bike in if it is a little too far.
DeleteI think Ruth meant "un"sure of the road we're thinking about.
DeleteThere is so many nice places to stay, and I would use them but Suzie is not comfortable in remote areas, so we do what we can. We have used some nice areas that we enjoy, just not too remote.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are lots of places to stay. Too bad that Suzie feels this way, I know she isn't the only one, however a number of times we have talked to people in the area that we are staying and if they say that we won't have a problem and won't be bothered we believe them. I don't think we have found a spot yet that we haven't felt at ease, especially out on the east coast. The kind of boondocking that we do isn't for everyone and as long as you are happy doing it your way, that's all that matters.
DeleteThis works for us so far, she gets a little more comfortable the more we do though.
DeleteWell I'm sold. If David could only get his specialty pharmacy to deliver his drugs to Canada we would have gone more than once by now. What a beautiful place. Thanks for all the fabulous boondocking spots to drool over.
ReplyDeleteI take you can't get a large enough supply of them to take you through your time in Canada? That definitely would make it an issue. Maybe just make the trip a little shorter, it is better to at least see some of east coast Canada than none!
DeleteTo solve the mail issue, my friend uses a private post office, then calls them from where ever they are at. They will repackage and send mail, drugs so forth to an address or Post Office for general delivery where they land. It costs extra but solves the issue of being tied down.
ReplyDeleteI am assuming that your comment is in reference to Sherry's comment about not being able to get the drugs in Canada. It does look like that could be a possibility but there is paperwork involved and according to the government's website they won't guarantee that the shipment will make it through customs, it is at their discretion. https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGcustoms-e.asp#1382810
DeleteIt's great when you have the luxury of driving a bit and then start looking for a place. When you need to cover miles, buy supplies, and find a place, Home Depot or Walmart are just the thing.
ReplyDeleteWe've used them and have found some pretty nice places to park in smaller towns where there isn't much traffic. In fact, in Canada we found some Home Depots and Walmarts that were completely empty.
I wouldn't want to do that all the time, but is certainly comes in handy.
We have still managed to find good boondocking spots even after covering some miles and stopping for groceries. We try to find a spot the day before if we can by using the internet that way it helps to eliminate the looking for a spot at the end of the day. Of course Home Depot or Walmart are always a last resort to us and sometimes we do find them useful.
DeleteGood information and some great pictures of your spots.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mike and Deb! :-)
DeleteReally beautiful! My uncles lived in Nova Scotia for decades. (they are now deceased). Thank you so much for sharing and warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Linda. Our daughter lived there for almost 9 years so we have gotten to see most of Nova Scotia now. It's a beautiful province that has some fantastic scenery and isn't too crowded.
DeleteThanks Ruth, you have wonderful knowledge on tourism. nice to visit your page and Thanks for captivate wonderful views around,, i am really pleased to be here. i will visit these places one time in my life.
ReplyDeleteThank you Maria and we hope that you will be able to visit some of these places sometime in the future.
DeleteOkay - I'm sold! But how do we find spots to boondocks??
ReplyDeleteWe wrote about that back in May...
DeleteHow to find great boondocking campsites
Thanks - this is encouraging. We are off to NS for most of October including some concerts in Cape Breton that are part of the Celtic Colours festival. It looks like most RV parks will be closed by mid month so it will be nice if we can exploit the boondocking capability of our class B
ReplyDeleteYou should have absolutely no problem boondocking, especially at that time of year. I hope the weather will be good for you. Have fun! :-)
DeleteWow! A lot of fantastic spots you show us. Do you think it is safe for me to stay at those places alone?
ReplyDeleteIn rural Nova Scotia? No problem at all...
DeleteHeading to Nova Scotia this July, and concerned about boondocking, whether I'm breaking some law or trespassing. HOW do you research this ahead of time?? I feel like I need reservations everywhere or I'll be in sleeping at a Walmart.
DeleteAll we can suggest is to follow the information that we have given in this post. Also if there aren't any signs saying "No Overnight Camping", "No Overnight Parking" or "No Trespassing" in the area you want to park at then you should be fine. We also find the app ioverlander quite helpful.
DeleteI will be ready for Nova Scotia in July 2019. I'm well researched on US boondocking but I'm just beginning Nova Scotia research. I'll be coming up the east coast and crossing on the ferry. I definitely will try to hit all the provinces but I won't miss PEI. I'm a Lucy Maud Montgomery geek at the age of 67. LOL. What a great blog. I'm sure I will be reading "cover to cover".
ReplyDeleteWe have no doubt that you will love Nova Scotia. We found boondocking there to be very easy, find the harbour and normally you will find somewhere to park. There are also lots of rural church parking lots that have gorgeous views and were very quiet.
DeleteIt is funny that you said you are a Lucy Maud Montgomery fan because I just finished reading Emily's Quest. :-)
This is great information. Thank you. I am trying to plan a trip in May and don’t have a “camper” per say but I have a Tacoma with a cap on the back that I sleep in. The thought was that it’s rural enough we could just find our own sites. After reading this I’m feeling more confidant in that. Would you agree?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't think that you would have a problem sleeping in the back of the truck while traveling around. The only concern would be a lack of bathroom facilities and that your waste would be properly disposed of!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteNeed your help.
We are thinking of traveling from Halifax to Toronto end of August in a rv. Are getting a very good deal on a RV so only for that reason would like to make the trip. I have never gone east coast and never traveled in a RV. Any suggestions for me what and where I can travel within 6 to 8 days from Halifax to Toronto.
It is really hard to say because everyone's likes and dislikes are different. Really you have two choices that you could make for the trip back from Halifax to Toronto and that would be either going through Canada or going through the USA and of course both areas will be busy because it is in August. Going through Canada there are some pretty areas to see along the coast in New Brunswick, or doing the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. Also Quebec City is well worth a stop. In the USA you have Acadia NP in Maine and both New Hampshire and Vermont are beautiful states to visit if you like hiking and the outdoors.
DeleteHi Ruth, has parking in rural church yards ever been a problem? This is my second year of boon docking with my Bernese Mountain Dog. I’ve only been around Nova Scotia but the views are spectacular!
ReplyDeleteHi Trove seeker, no we have never had a problem. If someone is around we always ask first and we try never to park at a church on a Saturday night because they could have early morning church service. We have found that there are lots of churches out on rural roads with no one around. Small communities with little harbours are also a good spot in general, again we always ask first if someone is around to ask.
Delete