Happy campers

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This article was published 23/05/2021 (1952 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rain, thunder and a set of strict pandemic restrictions banning outdoor gatherings made for a quiet May long weekend in Manitoba.

But despite the dreary circumstances, Birds Hill Park was still busy with campers and weekend warriors eager to enjoy some time away from home.

Cheryl Hoium, her daughter Chanel and their dog Alli, sat snugly around a firepit in the cool damp Sunday morning, curled into lawn chairs near the awning of their new camper.

Cheryl said her husband had always dreamed of owning a camper and restarting a childhood camping tradition. So the family purchased one for the first time this year and committed to getting away — come hell or high water.

“We own Aaron’s No Frills in Selkirk and this is his first day off since a year ago Good Friday,” said Hoium. “It was much deserved therapy to get away, doesn’t matter what the weather’s like.”

Sitting more than the requisite six-feet away, the Hoium’s neighbour, Cathy Cox, kicked back in her own lawn chair, chatting up the family next door. The two families — who live in the same neighbourhood back in Selkirk — had always planned to camp together. But when restrictions limited campsites to one household each, they had to get creative.

“This actually works out very well, the sites are nice and big so we can sit here and entertain each other,” said Cox.

“We’ve still been distancing but we can still talk so it works out for us,” Chanel Hoium added. “I understand the restrictions, I’m glad they’re in place, and I hope people are following them — I’ve still had a good time out here even with everything in place.”

In an effort to curb the high tides of Manitoba’s third COVID-19 wave and prevent social gatherings over the long weekend, new restrictions went into place Saturday banning outdoor gatherings outside household groups. In a Thursday press conference, the province’s top doctor, Brent Roussin, said that rule applied to campgrounds, too, with just one household unit allowed per site.

Though the rules kiboshed some families’ long weekend plans, the freshly budded trees, damp earth and quiet campsites made for a peaceful weekend for those who could get away.

“We tried to make the most of it. It poured the first night, lightning and thunder for a couple hours,” said Kaitlan Knowles, who took a truck, two tents and two hammocks out to the wooded park for the first few nights of a week-long family staycation.

“It’s just nice to get out of the house and enjoy the scenery.”

Kaitlan, her daughters Ginny and Madeline, and partner Steve Pratte plan to tackle a number of camping spots throughout the province this week. Originally they had all planned to stay another night in Birds Hill, but the rainy weather prompted them to head off early to the next stop at William Lake.

“It’s a little different without friends. We originally had a bunch of friends who were planning to camp with us this weekend so that’s a bit of a downer for everybody,” said Knowles.

Pratte said camping under restrictions was a bit easier than usual — the parks registration system allowed the family to sign up and reserve a site online before leaving, meaning no campsite lineups on the Friday night. Though the sites were booked up when registration opened weeks ago, just a handful of eager campers actually withstood the wind and rain to make their reservations.

Those last-minute cancellations left room for Allen Cummer and his two sons Dawson and Bentley to snag a spot in the campground for a weekend getaway.

Around noon Sunday, the family had just made it back to their camper after a three-hour bike around the nearby Bur Oak Trail.

“The rain doesn’t stop us — we’re from the country,” the elder Cummer laughed as Bentley, the youngest, added wood to a small fire.

Two abandoned tents, rain battered but still pitched, marked a campsite left behind in the storm next to the Cummer’s trailer. Cummer said the family gave up in the night and headed home, leaving a couple coolers, tents and grilling tools behind.

But for the Cummer family, who will stay out one more night before heading back to their home in Carman — and plan to camp again next weekend — the rain couldn’t stop them from enjoying each other’s company and the fresh outdoor air.

“We’re enjoying it. It’s all we can do. You can’t be cooped up inside and there’s only so much you can do with the restrictions.”

 

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers