Canada's family-run campgrounds need your help

Camping in Ontario

Canadians for Camping: Supporting Canada's family-run campgrounds

On the eve of launching the 2016 camping season, family-run campgrounds across Ontario are receiving surprise tax bills that put the entire Canadian camping tradition at risk. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has decided that some campgrounds are too small to qualify for the small business tax deduction, demanding tax payments at rates that are greater than those of billion-dollar businesses. What? 

Camping is about celebrating the great outdoors and is an integral part of our nation’s history and our identity as Canadians. Nearly 5.8 million Canadians go camping each year, along with numerous international visitors who want to experience the natural wonder of our country. And many campgrounds in Canada are family-run small businesses that have been around for generations.

We don’t want to believe that it is the CRA’s intention to destroy the Canadian camping community...but that’s exactly what will happen if their decisions are not reversed.

Campgrounds across Canada have begun receiving calls and letters from CRA warning them of reassessments because they are deemed to be TOO SMALL to qualify for the small business tax deduction, since many family-run campgrounds employ fewer than five people. 

Thanks to the CRA, some family-run campgrounds now have a higher tax rate than Canada’s BIGGEST BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESSES. That doesn’t make ANY sense.

Many campgrounds are family-run, seasonal small businesses. And with surprise tax bills in the tens of thousands of dollars, they won’t be around much longer if this isn’t reversed.

We are calling on the federal government – and MPs from all parties - to support family-run campgrounds in our country. This isn’t a partisan issue – it’s a camping issue! And its about preserving small businesses that are under a very serious threat.

We want to ensure that we have a strong, Canadian camping community in our country today, and in the future. To do that, we need to have the federal government intervene with CRA to ensure family-run campgrounds are recognized as small businesses, and pay the same taxes as other small businesses. They certainly shouldn’t be paying more than billion dollar businesses. 

Together, we can make this happen. Please sign our petition, and tell your friends, family, and neighbours that you support camping in Canada.