Cottages, cabins, and camping, oh my!
"The Lake": Heaven on Earth
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking my first trip to “the lake” since moving to Manitoba. When I was younger, we often visited my grandparents at their place in Lac Du Bonnet, where they lived year-round, and memories of those days contributed a great deal to my yearning for the province.
Needless to say, I was pretty excited for my first invitation to the lake as a Manitoban, and even more delighted to learn that we’d be going through LDB to get to Lee River. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed horseshoes, beer, reading, more beer, roasting hotdogs, and mosquitoes. The next morning, we made a big breakfast, did the crossword, went swimming, and were treated to a spin in the boat. Heaven! By the end of our 24 hours at the lake, we were trying to figure out how to buy a cottage and work from home. We got back to the city grubby, covered in bug bites, but very happy and relaxed!
Anyway, I had lunch today with an eclectic group: an Albertan, several Winnipeggers (some of whom are originally from elsewhere in the country), and one Ontarian. Somehow, the topic of cottages and cabins came up, and we started discussing what you call the visit to your cottage country home away from home. I’m a giant word nerd, so naturally, I found this discussion fascinating. And if I have everything straight…
- People from northern Ontario (Kenora-ish) will call it “going to camp” [aside: I always get a kick out of the fact that a town that's parallel to Winnipeg is considered to be in northern Ontario!]
- Southern Ontarians are more likely to say “going to the cabin“
- Winnipeggers will say “going to the lake” regardless of what type of structure they will be staying in, though if pressed, I’d say I usually hear them say “going to the cottage“
- Someone asserted that calling something a cabin denotes no indoor plumbing
Are we on the right track? Any corrections to be made to this? (A new Winnipegger’s gotta be sure she has her terminology straight!) Are there regional variations in other parts of the country, too?
Incidentally, CBC Information Radio was interviewing someone from Cottage Life magazine the other day, and the topic was cottage etiquette, or more specifically, cottage guest etiquette. You can take this quiz to find out if you pass the test, and read their guide on nine ways to be a good cottage guest. I had to laugh at one essential piece of advice from the Cottage Life interviewee: When you’re a guest at someone’s cottage, and your host asks you how you slept, no matter how old and lumpy and uncomfortable the bed was, you always say, “Great!”.
How very Friendly Manitoban 
I don’t know about everyone else, but when I lived in Southern Ontario we were always ‘going to the cottage’. Cabins are something I’ve heard more mention of in Manitoba than Ontario.
I grew up in Toronto and people in southern Ontario always said “going to the cottage” (and still do). When I lived in Winnipeg, I heard “cabin” most of the time.
The family saying was Cabin in the woods, Cottage by the lake. Winnipeg Beach is really a town but my grandmothers summer place was always the cottage. My uncles place near Sandilands was the cabin. I think it’s all about the destination — lake or woods.
That photo is lovely! Which lake/cottage/cabin/camp was it taken at?
What was the Albertan term for it?
Or is the housing still so scarce in Calgary that no one can have a second home as such?
Thanks, Jeanette. The photo was taken a couple years ago at Matlock, before I moved here! I love because it looks so serene.
Rat in the Sandbox, the only term I ever heard people use in Alberta was “cabin”, and they were generally referring to their property in Montana or in Waterton Lakes. And yes, these second homeowners were few and far between!
I think Stamk has a good point – maybe it’s all about location.
I hear “cottage” most often here. “Cabin” definitely has a more rustic connotation. Trappers have cabins. A cottage is more like a home away from home. A cabin is a small building where you can get of the rain, warm up or spend the night. Often just one room.
Me: I go camping, because I don’t have a cottage. Just my little tent.
People from Toronto definitely say “Cottage”, not “Cabin”, as others have mentioned above – however, that doesn’t mean that Toronto might not be distinct from the rest of Southern Ontario.
My understanding, in fact, is that many people across this great land of ours go out of their way to not be like people from Toronto.
… oh ya … and you tend to rent cabins, whereas you tend to own cottages. Therefore, more often you will here somebody say they are going out to the Cottage (or Lake) rather than Cabin. Ok. I’m done now.
I’m from southern Ontario too (though not Toronto) and I don’t remember EVER hearing anyone say “cabin” – it was ALWAYS ‘the cottage.’ I never really heard “cabin” or “going to the lake” much till I moved to Winnipeg 10 years ago.
By the way, have you explored the different words to describe a long weekend? In Manitoba it’s always just “May long”… and no one ever says “May 2-4″ like they do in Ontario!
@Kara – that’s so funny you should mention “May long” because I’ve got a draft with that very topic in it. Hopefully I’ll get around to investigating it a bit sometime soon!
Emma,
I dunno HOW you’re doing it, but you’re making Manitoba look wonderful via blog. I’m definitely going to do the Trans-Canada journey one day and I will stop in Winterpeg to visit. I could also just let you show me around the province. NORTH!!!
Hope you’re well.
Garry.
PS. Canada East for life!
My one and only experience was a family cottage at Victoria Beach, where in summer there is no car traffic and the local kids taxi you around in a old Volkswagon. I loved how this place had trees right up to the front door and they only got indoor plumbing about 5 years ago. The owner made his own fireplace from stone! Ah the good life.
We hear it all here at cottagecountry.com – Lake Houses, Vacation Homes, Cabins, Cottages, Camps, Summerhomes, Chalets, 2nd home…It all means the same thing…great times. Enjoy your cottage region travels whatever you call them