More provincial parks offering Internet access

This is really quite sad. Sign of the times, I suppose.

Why is it sad? You don't have to use it...

The thing I HATE here is the lack of cell-service. When my car breaks down just out of town, there is no way I can call anyone, just because there is no service.

Here in Toronto "cottage" country starts about 100 miles away and it's very popular. However I'm told it's getting built up, retirees with money are pushing the price of a cottage up and now the place is like suburbia. There maybe a Chuckie Cheese within a short drive. Some people have stopped going. More to come, as the demography unfolds and the number of people with money increases the pressure there is.

In southern Ontario we are saved by Algonquin Park,which is 3000 sq.mile wilderness park only 150 miles from Toronto. It's preserved, we're safe for a long time.

Imagine what you had to do before we had cell-phones... the horror.

In my lifetime, I think that there were 5 or less times with my car when a cell would have been "very" useful for me, but I was able to survive without too much of a problem.

Imagine what you had to do before we had cell-phones... the horror.

In my lifetime, I think that there were 5 or less times with my car when a cell would have been "very" useful for me, but I was able to survive without too much of a problem.
Before cell phones, I lived in a busy country with phone booths on every corner, and car help phone things along the highway every 3 kms. I haven't seen those here.
In the middle of the mountains, 25 km walk up and down the mountain to reach a house is a LONG way.

I was camping last week during a fire ban. Google sky map kept the kids entertained for a while at night in lieu of a fire. Wifi in our parks is a great idea.

We went for walks in the woods (scaring each other), played badminton, soccer, kick the can, auntie-I-over, went fishing... there's plenty to do without electronics to babysit the kids. Unfortunately, it's all become lost to this day and age.

Why go to the country if all you're going to do there is sit and twiddle your fingers?

Why go to the country if all you're going to do there is sit and twiddle your fingers?
Why go to the country if all you're going to do is sit there in front of a laptop and cell phone? I've just never seen the logic.

Why go to the country if all you're going to do there is sit and twiddle your fingers?
Why go to the country if all you're going to do is sit there in front of a laptop and cell phone? I've just never seen the logic.

I guess you misunderstood. By twiddle your fingers I meant what people do when they text or play video games. Like you, I don't see the point.

But, modern kids are wired to that stuff. Having access to it might be the only way parents can get them out there, and who knows, maybe the odd kid will actually put down the electronics and discover how much fun it can be to roam around the country.

I think people who use it should pay for it. They're charging more and more for camping, when it used to be free or very low cost.

I have no issue with camping user fees, it seems to help keeping the worst of the idiots away from their all-night drinking binges and radio playing.

Unfortunately, most can still afford to come to the woods in order to set up a "patio away from home" to sit and drink and carouse all night.

And they should be kicked out, pronto. But we should find a way that low income families can afford to go camping.

And they should be kicked out, pronto. But we should find a way that low income families can afford to go camping.

They should, but many parks can no longer afford to have overnight operators. They become gong shows on weekends and I avoid them like the plague. It's why I took up backpacking in the summer - hike in, find some quiet spot by a lake or river, and enjoy the silence.

I find I do my RV camping in off season.

My bad.

The sad part, is in many cases, the parents don't want to be out there with them. It's easier to let them sit in front of their gadget quietly, than get up and do something with them. It's frightening to see how many kids don't even know how to play Crazy Eights any more. My lord - there's a game that killed thousands of hours when we were kids! (After several hours of auntie-I-over with most everyone in the campground over top the cook shack ) It's rare to even see them at the playgrounds any more. They're all sitting inside playing PS3, surfing the web and texting their friends whining that there's "nothing to do". I think the parents need to put a lot more effort into getting the kids out there as well. Quit being so lazy.

(And before I get jumped for that one, yes, there still some great, active parents out there. It isn't 100% of you. But the vast majority can't be bothered.)