How to Start a Marina Business in Canada
Start a marina business in Canada: secure water access and shoreline permission first, build docks and fuel handling to the safety rules, and earn through slips, storage, and service.
How to Start a Campground Business in Canada
Start a campground business in Canada: clear zoning and servicing first, size sites and washrooms to the rules for your province, and build a season that pays for a full year of costs.
Applies in: across Canada
The short answer
A campground is a servicing-and-permission business that happens to rent sites. The trees and the lake draw guests, but zoning, water, and sewage decide whether you can open at all, and the length of your season decides whether the numbers work. A parcel that cannot get a sewage approval is not a campground, no matter how pretty it is. Confirm the permission layer and the servicing first, lay out sites to the rules, and only then spend money on buildings, docks, and marketing.
Step 1: Confirm the land can legally be a campground
Start with the municipality, not with a land listing. Ask for three answers in writing for the exact parcel: does the zoning allow a campground, does the municipality licence campgrounds directly, and what site-plan conditions apply? Some municipalities licence campgrounds and ask for a site plan, zoning confirmation, and sign-off from the health unit and the fire department. Others work through zoning and site-plan approval only.
Also check what sits around the land. A campground next to a quarry, a highway, or a future subdivision faces noise complaints and neighbour objections that can stall an approval. A campground on a floodplain or beside a sensitive shoreline faces environmental conditions that can shrink the usable area. Walk the land after heavy rain and look at where water sits, because drainage problems show up in spring, not on a dry summer viewing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Zoning and licensing answers change by municipality, and a lawyer or planning consultant who knows the local bylaw is money well spent before a purchase closes.
Step 2: Settle water and sewage before you draw the site plan
Servicing decides the site count, so it comes before the layout. A campground needs a drinking-water supply that the health authority accepts, and a sewage system that the environment ministry accepts. In Ontario, the camping-establishment regulation states that an establishment providing a water supply and a sewage disposal device must conform with the health protection rules, health authority requirements, the environmental protection rules, and any other applicable laws. Other provinces have their own versions of the same requirement, through their health and environment authorities.
The practical questions are simple. Where does drinking water come from, and who tests it? Where does sewage go: a municipal sewer, an on-site system, or a holding tank pumped by a licensed hauler? Where do recreation vehicles dump their tanks, unless every site has its own sewer hookup? How big must the system be on a peak long weekend, not on an average Tuesday? Get a servicing professional to answer those questions and put the answers on the site plan. A campground that opens with a sewage system sized for half its sites will be the campground that closes for repairs in July.
Step 3: Lay out sites, roads, and washrooms to the rules
Ontario's camping-establishment regulation gives a concrete planning example. Each campsite must have an area of at least 186 square metres, with a graded parking space leaving at least 4.5 metres between the sides of adjacent recreation vehicles and 3 metres between their ends. Density must not exceed 38 campsites for each hectare of land suitable for tents and trailers. Driveways must be at least 3 metres wide for one-way traffic and at least 6 metres wide for two-way traffic. Each campsite needs one table, and one garbage can or an equivalent central garbage area.
Washrooms follow a table by campsite band. For 10 to 15 campsites without individual sewer hookups, the regulation requires 1 washbasin, 1 flush toilet, and 1 urinal for male guests, and 1 washbasin and 1 flush toilet for female guests. For 46 to 100 campsites, it requires 3 washbasins, 3 flush toilets, and 2 urinals for male guests, and 3 washbasins and 5 flush toilets for female guests. Sites with individual sewer hookups need at least one washbasin and one flush toilet or privy for each sex for each 100 serviced campsites or part of that number. Where no water-pressure system exists, the operator must provide one privy for each sex for every seven campsites.
Use those figures as a planning example, not as a national standard. Your province, health authority, and municipality may set different site sizes, densities, and washroom counts. Build the layout to the rules that apply to your land, and leave room for emergency vehicle access to every site.
Step 4: Register the business and set up tax and insurance
Register the business name in the province where the campground sits. In Ontario, a sole proprietorship registration costs $60 through the Ontario Business Registry. Get a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and register for GST/HST once your taxable supplies pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters, or voluntarily before that line so you can claim input tax credits on roads, buildings, and equipment. If you operate in Quebec, you also deal with QST.
Insurance needs to match the real risks: guests injured on trails or in washrooms, children near water, fires at fire pits, and storms that drop trees on sites. Tell the insurer the property is a public campground, not a private cottage lot, and confirm what the policy says about water access, pools, and playgrounds. A policy written for the wrong use is the policy that fails when a claim arrives.
Step 5: Build in the order the inspectors need
Build servicing first. Roads and drainage, then water and sewage, then electrical hookups, then washroom and shower buildings, then the extras: a store, a laundry, a pool, a playground, a boat launch. Each stage needs its own approvals, and building a washroom block before the sewage system is approved is a good way to rebuild it.
Plan for winter from the start. Water lines that freeze, washrooms that need winterizing, and roads that need plowing for year-round access all cost money in months when no guest pays. If the campground closes for winter, the shutdown routine matters as much as the opening routine: drain lines, secure buildings, store docks and playground equipment, and check the property through the off-season. Storm damage found in April costs more than storm damage found in November.
Step 6: Open with a booking system and a seasonal routine
Reservations are the daily operation. A booking system that shows site size, hookups, and availability stops the most common campground argument: a guest arriving with a large trailer at a site that cannot hold it. Check-in rules should cover arrival times, quiet hours, fire rules, pet rules, visitor rules, and what happens when a guest stays past checkout. Post them where guests see them before they set up, not after a complaint.
The seasonal mix decides the money. Seasonal sites give steady revenue and a known customer base, but they tie up sites through peak weekends. Nightly sites earn more per site on peak weekends but swing with weather and need more cleaning and check-in work. The usual shape is a base of seasonal sites covering fixed costs, plus nightly sites for peak demand. Price from nearby campgrounds with comparable sites and hookups, and keep a reserve for a wet summer, a servicing repair, or a storm that takes out trees.
Related guides: How to Start a Parking Lot Business in Canada, How to Start a Self-Storage Business in Canada, How to Start a Laundromat Business in Canada, and How to Start a Moving Company in Canada.
Starting a campground business in Canada, in six steps
- Confirm the land can legally be a campgroundCheck zoning, the municipal licence rules, and any site-plan conditions for the exact parcel before you buy land or sign a lease. A rural parcel with road access is not automatically a campground site.
- Settle water and sewage before you draw the site planA campground needs a drinking-water supply and a sewage system that the health authority and the environment ministry accept. Servicing decides how many sites the land can hold.
- Lay out sites, roads, and washrooms to the rulesSite size, road width, spacing between units, and washroom counts all come from regulation and municipal conditions. Draw them in before you clear land or pour concrete.
- Register the business and set up tax and insuranceRegister the business name in the province where the campground sits, get a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and sort GST/HST and liability insurance before the first guest books.
- Build in the order the inspectors needRoads, drainage, water, sewage, electrical, and washroom buildings each need their own approvals. Build the servicing first, then the sites, then the extras like a store or a pool.
- Open with a booking system and a seasonal routineReservations, check-in rules, quiet hours, garbage, washroom cleaning, and a winter shutdown routine are the daily work. A campground that opens without them fills up with problems, not guests.
What a campground costs to enter, in verified figures
| Ontario business name registration, sole proprietorship | $60 |
|---|---|
| GST/HST small supplier threshold | $30,000 in taxable supplies |
| Municipal campground licence | Varies by municipality — no national fee |
There is no national campground licence fee. Your municipality sets its own licence and permit fees, and servicing, roads, and washroom buildings cost far more than any filing fee. Price those from quotes for your land.
Questions people ask
Do I need a licence to open a campground in Canada?
No province issues one national campground licence, but the municipal layer decides what you need, and it varies by place. Some municipalities licence campgrounds directly and ask for a site plan, zoning confirmation, proof of insurance, and sign-off from the health unit and the fire department. Others regulate campgrounds through zoning and site-plan approval alone. On top of that, water and sewage systems need their own approvals from the health authority and the environment ministry. Get the licence answer, the zoning answer, and the servicing answers in writing for the exact parcel before you buy land or sign a lease, and treat this guide as general information, not legal advice.
How much land does each campsite need?
Ontario's camping-establishment regulation gives a worked example: each campsite must have an area of at least 186 square metres, with a graded parking space that leaves at least 4.5 metres of clearance between the sides of adjacent recreation vehicles and 3 metres between their ends, and the establishment must not exceed 38 campsites for each hectare of land suitable for tents and trailers. Driveways must be at least 3 metres wide for one-way traffic and at least 6 metres wide for two-way traffic. Other provinces and municipalities set their own site sizes and density limits, so use the Ontario figures as a planning example only and confirm the rules that apply to your land.
How many washrooms does a campground need?
Ontario's camping-establishment regulation sets washroom counts by campsite band for sites without individual sewer hookups, counting only sites that share common facilities. For 10 to 15 campsites, the table requires 1 washbasin, 1 flush toilet, and 1 urinal for male guests, and 1 washbasin and 1 flush toilet for female guests. For 46 to 100 campsites, it requires 3 washbasins, 3 flush toilets, and 2 urinals for male guests, and 3 washbasins and 5 flush toilets for female guests. Sites with individual sewer hookups need at least one washbasin and one flush toilet or privy for each sex for each 100 serviced campsites or part of that number. Your province and health authority may set different counts, so confirm them before you build.
What does water and sewage servicing involve?
A campground that supplies water and sewage disposal must meet the rules under the health protection law, the environmental protection law, and the plumbing rules that apply in its province. In Ontario, the camping-establishment regulation states that every tourist establishment that provides a water supply and a sewage disposal device must conform with the regulations under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and health authority requirements, the Environmental Protection Act, and any other applicable laws. In practice that means a tested drinking-water supply, a sewage system sized for peak weekends, a dumping station for recreation vehicles unless every site has its own sewer hookup, and a maintenance plan. Servicing is the longest lead item on most campground builds, so start it before you market a single site.
How does the seasonal calendar change the money?
A campground earns most of its revenue in a short summer window and pays costs all year: taxes, insurance, loan payments, road upkeep, and winterizing the water system. Seasonal sites, where a guest rents one site for the whole season, give steadier revenue than nightly sites alone, but they also tie up sites that could earn nightly rates on peak weekends. A mix usually works best: a base of seasonal sites covering fixed costs, plus nightly and weekend sites for peak demand. Price from what nearby campgrounds actually charge for a comparable site, not from a national average, and keep a reserve for a wet summer or a servicing repair.
Do I need GST/HST registration for a campground?
Campsite rentals are generally taxable supplies, so once your taxable supplies pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters, you must register for GST/HST and charge it on your fees. You are a small supplier at $30,000 or less in both tests, and registration below that line is voluntary. Many operators register early so they can claim input tax credits on roads, washroom buildings, and equipment. If you operate in Quebec, you also deal with QST. Keep the tax account separate from the start, because campground cash mixed into operating cash without a tax split turns into a bookkeeping problem by the end of the season.
Sources
- Ontario, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1037, General (Tourism Act) — water and sewage conformity, campsite area of at least 186 square metres, 38 campsites per hectare, driveway widths, washroom table —
- Ontario, Register your business online — sole proprietorship registration $60 —
- Canada Revenue Agency, RC4022 General Information for GST/HST Registrants — small supplier at $30,000 or less in a single calendar quarter and over four consecutive calendar quarters —