Cottage, Cabin, Camp, or “The Lake”? Canada’s Vacation Home Vocabulary
Every summer, millions of Canadians pack up their cars and head to their beloved retreats in nature. But what they call those getaways – be it a cottage, cabin, camp, or simply “the lake” – depends a lot on where in Canada they’re from. We explored the charming regional variations in terminology for vacation homes, and found some big differences that might surprise you!
The Cottage: Ontario’s Pick
In Ontario, the term “cottage” reigns supreme. Ask a Torontonian or Ottawa resident about their weekend plans, and you’ll likely hear, “We’re going up to the cottage.” For many Ontarians, “cottage” evokes a cozy second home by a lake – think Muskoka chairs on a dock and loons at dusk. The cottage tradition is so strong that highways heading north from Toronto clog up on summer Friday afternoons with city-dwellers en route to “cottage country”. The May 2-4 long weekend (around Victoria Day in May) is seen as the unofficial start of cottage season, when families open up their cottages after the winter.
Interestingly, within Ontario there’s a north-south split in vocabulary. In Southern Ontario it’s always “cottage,” but head up past the French River into Northern Ontario and you’ll find people going to “camp” instead. Locals joke that north of the French River, nobody has a cottage – it’s camp. Historically, many of these were hunting or fishing camps – simple wood cabins in the bush – and the name stuck. So, an Ontario resident from Thunder Bay might say, “Spent the weekend at camp,” whereas someone from Toronto would never call their lake house a camp or cabin.
In fact, one linguistics survey found Toronto respondents 0% likely to say “cabin,” preferring “cottage” every time! This is in extreme contrast to other parts of Canada, where the opposite is true.
Ontario’s "cottage" culture isn’t just about nomenclature – it’s a huge part of the province’s identity. Areas like Muskoka, the Kawarthas, and Haliburton are famous for their dense concentration of cottages and summer homes. Many of these cottages are quite comfortable (some would even say luxurious), outfitted with all the amenities of home. In Muskoka, it’s not uncommon for “cottages” to be multi-bedroom houses with Wi-Fi and wine cellars. Even the Prime Minister of Canada has an official cottage. Despite this, Ontarians still affectionately use the humble term cottage. As one Ontarian we spoke to quipped, if it’s in Ontario and near a lake – no matter how fancy – it’s a cottage.
Camp: From Northern Ontario to Atlantic Canada
The word “camp” has its place in Canadian parlance too. As mentioned, Northern Ontarians favour camp – conjuring images of a rustic shack in the woods, perhaps without running water or electricity. But Northern Ontario isn’t alone. Parts of Atlantic Canada also use “camp,” especially in New Brunswick. About 28–29% of New Brunswickers refer to their summer place as a “camp” (though a majority still say cottage). In NB, “camp” often implies a more backwoods, off-grid retreat – similar to the Northern Ontario usage.
What exactly is a “camp”? There’s no strict definition, but typically it means a relatively basic cabin, possibly originally built as a hunting camp or a simple summer shelter. An old New Brunswicker might invite you “down to the camp for the weekend,” meaning their little hideaway in the woods or by a stream. The term carries a DIY, rustic connotation – you might picture no plumbing, a woodstove for heat, and plenty of nature. As one discussion described: Camp = back in the woods, no power, no running water… a beautiful, simple getawayreddit.com.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, interestingly, people don’t say “camp” – they have cabins (more on that below). And in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, “cottage” tends to be the go-to wordungalli.com. In fact, a linguistic survey noted “cottage” is dominant in PEI (67%) and Nova Scotia (78%), even if the style of those cottages may range from quaint seaside shacks to full-fledged housesungalli.com. Meanwhile, parts of rural Cape Breton (NS) or other Atlantic areas might still use local terms like “camp” in pockets, but “cottage” is widely understood across the Maritimes as the place you head for summer relaxation.
An anecdote to illustrate the charm of camp culture: A colleague from Northern Ontario once told me how confused her southern Ontario friends were when she said she spent summers “at camp.” They thought she meant a children’s summer camp with tents or bunk beds! She had to explain that for her family, “camp” meant our off-grid cabin on Lake Nipigon – we go to camp every weekend to fish and get away from it all. It’s a good reminder that even English-speaking Canadians can misunderstand each other’s vacation plans due to these regional vocabularies.
The Cabin: Out West (and in Newfoundland)
Travel west of Ontario, and you’ll find almost everyone prefers the term “cabin.” In Western Canada – notably British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan – people talk about their cabins. “We’re opening up the cabin” or “spending a week at the cabin” is a common phrase from the Prairies to the Rockies. A cabin might be on a lake (especially in the Prairies) or in the mountains (as in BC or Alberta), but the word “cottage” just doesn’t sound quite right to western ears. One survey found effectively 0% say “cottage”. One Albertan onlines said, "a cabin is any vacation home at a lake, whether it’s an 100 year old log cabin or a new-build mansion on the waterfront".
In B.C.’s Vancouver/Victoria area, “cabin” was also strongly favored (72% in that survey).
The preference for “cabin” out west may reflect the different geography and pioneer history. Westerners picture log cabins in the forest or by alpine lakes. Even if many modern “cabins” are quite upscale, the term still evokes a more frontier spirit. In Alberta and B.C., people often have cabins in the Rockies or the foothills – places like the Okanagan Valley, Shuswap Lake, or the Kootenays have numerous cabin resorts and private cabins. The classic image is a log cabin with a stone fireplace, nestled among tall pines. Calling it a “cottage” just wouldn’t feel accurate when you’re far from any cute coastal village or gentle Muskoka lake – cottage has an eastern vibe, whereas cabin feels western.
Interestingly, Newfoundland and Labrador aligns with Western Canada on this. Newfoundlanders overwhelmingly say “cabin” for their recreational homes (85% according to one survey). So if a St. John’s resident says “we’re heading to the cabin this weekend,” they mean their little country place, perhaps by the ocean or in the woods. Newfoundland’s cabin culture is strong – many families have a small cabin (“cabbin’,” they might pronounce it) in the interior or along the coast where they go to pick berries, fish, and boil up a scoff (cook a meal) outdoors. The term “camp” isn’t really used in NL; it’s cabin through and through.
In parts of the west, people might specifically say “the lake” if their place is on a lake. However, “cabin” alone is usually sufficient and has the same connotation. And while a few folks might use “lake cottage” or “summer house,” these terms are relatively rare in Canada. The Boberg survey (a McGill linguist’s study of Canadian vocabulary) essentially showed a west/east split: “cabin” is greatly preferred in Western Canada and Newfoundland, whereas “cottage” dominates in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.
“At The Lake”: Prairie Parlance in Manitoba & Saskatchewan
If you have friends from Manitoba or Saskatchewan, you may have heard the phrase “the lake” used as shorthand for a vacation home. For example: “We’re spending August at the lake,” or “Come out to the lake this weekend!” In these Prairie provinces, many families own or rent cabins by one of the numerous lakes (Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, Last Mountain Lake, Lac la Ronge – take your pick!). Over time, “the lake” has become a metonymy – it doesn’t even need a specific name attached. It just means the place where our cabin/cottage is.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents say “cabin” in many cases, but “the lake” is a beloved expression. In fact, Manitobans use all three terms to some extent – cottage, cabin, and the lake – but “the lake” is especially common in conversation. If someone in Winnipeg tells you they’re “going to the lake,” they likely mean a cabin at Lake of the Woods or Whiteshell or another popular cottage area. It’s a bit of a peculiarity in those provinces’ lexicon that emphasizes the destination (the lake itself) rather than the building.
Why “the lake”? Culturally, spending summer days by a cool lake is the quintessential Prairie escape, given the hot summers. Many communities revolve around lake life. In Saskatchewan, for example, folks from Saskatoon or Regina often have lake lots or cabins at any of the province's over 100,000 lakes. There’s a proud tradition of DIY cabin-building and multi-generational family cabins on the Prairies. Because lakes are the focal point (in relatively flat, landlocked provinces), people default to saying the lake. It implies not just the cabin, but the whole experience – boating, fishing, barbecues, and sunsets on the dock.
Chalet?
Quebec has its own term too – “chalet.” Anglophone Quebecers might say cottage, but many will also refer to a ski chalet or summer chalet. In Montreal, “chalet” is common, partly to avoid confusion since in local usage a “cottage” can also mean an urban two-story house style. So if you hear about someone’s chalet in the Laurentians, it’s the same idea – their country house for recreation.)
More Than Just Words: A Shared Love of the Outdoors
Whether you invite friends to your cottage, cabin, camp, or lake, the underlying sentiment is the same. Canadians treasure their time in nature. These regional terms are badges of local culture, but they all point to that common Canadian experience of unplugging and heading out of town to relax by the water or in the woods. As one writer put it, “The whole phenomenon of heading to our summer getaway on the weekend is a central part of the Canadian experience. It doesn’t matter what we call it – camp, cottage, cabin, or the lake – it brings together family and friends”.
There are, of course, endless debates (often good-natured) about the “right” term. Someone from Calgary might chuckle at the word cottage as too fancy, and someone from Montreal might find cabin too rustic for their taste. These nuances even get attention in linguistics research. A McGill University survey of 1,800 Canadians confirmed clear regional splits in vacation-home vocabulary. The choices we make between camp, cottage, and cabin are, as a CBC story noted, “really a story about cultural geography”.
Ultimately, no matter what you call your getaway spot, the goal is the same: to enjoy the great outdoors and make summertime memories. So, the next time you’re invited to a Canadian friend’s rustic camp in Northern Ontario, or their cabin at a lake in Saskatchewan, or their cottage in Prince Edward Island, remember – you’re in for a treat. Different words, but each one promises a cozy place to unwind, a lake or forest to explore, and likely a campfire under the stars. And if you don’t have your own cabin, no worries – as the saying goes in Ontario, if you’re not headed to a cottage, find someone who is!
Have a great summer at the cottage… or should we say cabin? 😉
Happy cabin living!
