When Jan Maat started bringing his wife Jannie and his daughter Patricia to Canada for vacation, he likely had no idea it would result in a complete career change, an international move, and the birth of the family business.
But that’s exactly what happened.
The Maat family lived in the Netherlands and spent their vacations exploring North America in a rented motorhome. Like many travelers, they moved from campground to campground, getting a feel for RV life along the way.
During one of those trips, Jan shared an idea.
“My dad said, ‘You know what? I think I can do this better. I want to move to Canada and buy a campground,’ “ Patricia recalled. “My mom and I were like, ‘We’re doing what, now?’ “
They went for it, though.
In 2004, Jan and Jannie purchased North Shore RV Park in Ontario and made the move across the Atlantic. Patricia was 13 years old.
Starting over meant adjusting to a new country while learning to operate a campground at the same time. The family moved into the house on the property, which was an adjustment in itself.
“Living on the campground was convenient, but it also came with its challenges,” Patricia admitted. “And we came from living in this great, big, beautiful house equipped with everything to a house that needed major renovations.”
Those first few years resulted in a lot of work and a lot of open conversations. And the three of them made a promise to each other early on.
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“Our agreement was if, after two years of living here, any one of the three of us was unhappy, we’d sell everything and go back,” Patricia remembered. “But that was 22 years ago, and we’re still here.”
As a child, Patricia was involved in the daily workings of the campground. However, when she got older, she tried a few other things, but didn’t find the fulfillment she found being a part of the family business. So she decided to come back and work with her parents full-time.
“That was 10 years ago,” Patricia shared. “It was trial and error at first, but it's going well. My parents travel quite a bit, but they’re still fairly involved. My mom is still the bookkeeping person. When they're home, my dad is at the park daily, just because he can't sit still. He likes to just putter around and work on projects.”
Today, North Shore RV has grown into a park with over 100 seasonal sites, a selection of overnight sites, waterfront cottages, and direct access to the water.
“When our family bought the park, the electrical and all of that stuff was quite out of date,” Patricia remembered. “So we slowly worked away at that since 2013. We first upgraded all the overnight sites, and then started upgrading all the seasonal sites. They all have 50-amp electrical hookups now.”
“My parents have a 43-foot motorhome themselves,” she continued. “They’ve found that a lot of places struggle to accommodate rigs that size. So that’s something we wanted to offer here.”
Over time, the Maat family added a new workshop, upgraded the laundry room, and expanded the park’s amenities. Since returning full-time, Patricia has begun adding some ideas of her own.
“We never really had a store. We just had the front office, and we sold ice and firewood, but we didn't have grocery items or anything like that,” Patricia said. “So I started that three years ago. We've now got a full line of clothing and apparel as well with our logo. People seem to really like that, because they want to take a souvenir home. They want to show where they've been.”
Most of North Shore’s guests are seasonal campers who travel from the Greater Toronto Area, about two hours away.
“They come up on weekends to get their outside space and get out of the city,” Patricia said. “A lot of them bring their kids, and it’s a great place for families to spend their time and their summers.”
Over time, those visits started to take on a rhythm of their own.
“Our guests have all got their friend groups, and they organize events and all kinds of fun stuff to keep each other busy over the summer,” she said.
Moments like those remind Patricia why her family’s work matters.
“When you see people enjoying their weekend, enjoying their time… kids are fishing, riding their bikes, doing things they couldn't do in the city,” Patricia shared. “And sometimes people will bring us dinner or ask if we can get away for a few minutes to come and eat with them. That’s when you feel appreciated and like people actually see what you’re doing.”
While guests see the relaxed side of campground life, Patricia says the reality behind the scenes is far more complex.
“You have to be able to literally do anything,” she said. “You’ve got to be a plumber, electrician, accountant, and a customer service person. You have to be able to use equipment and tools and computers and answer emails. It’s so many jobs in one. I think a lot of people underestimate the amount of different skills that are required.”
And over time, keeping up with it all became its own challenge.
As North Shore became busier over the years, the Maat family began exploring new ways to manage the park. They started using CampLife in 2012 and became the first campground in Ontario to adopt the reservation system. Over time, the park has incorporated several tools that help manage both reservations and day-to-day operations.
“We use CampLife’s Sign+Store for the documents required for our overnight campers,” Patricia said. “So that works nicely for us. We use the Point of Sale system as well. We started using that when we opened up our store, and it’s definitely worked for us.”
The park also uses Dynamic Pricing to help adjust rates as demand changes throughout the season.
“My dad was looking at different ways to increase revenue, especially with the park getting busier and busier,” Patricia recalled. “It’s been about 10 years that we've been using dynamic pricing. It's definitely worked really, really well for us.”
One of the biggest adjustments was simply explaining the concept to guests who call to ask about rates.
”Normally, you get a camper asking, ‘What’s your nightly rate?’ That’s the standard question,” Patricia said. “Now we explain, ‘Our rates vary based on which sites you choose and on our occupancy levels. If you give me your dates, I can give you an accurate price for that stay.’ “
Most guests understand right away.
”The majority of the time people are like, ‘Oh, okay, that makes sense,’ “ she said. “Dynamic pricing rewards the people who make their plans early and book sites because they’re the ones who get the base rate. And it's a great way to just gain extra revenue that you really don't have to do anything for because the majority of campers are accepting of it.”
North Shore RV has evolved through steady improvements, new ideas, and a willingness to adapt as the industry changes. Through it all, the Maat family has stayed focused on creating a space where guests have what they need and feel at home.
Keeping a park running at that level takes more than what guests can see. It takes tools that support the work.
North Shore uses CampLife to manage reservations, handle guest documents, and run their store without adding extra steps or separate systems. It’s one way they’ve been able to keep up with the growth while meeting the demands of park ownership.
Our team is proud to serve parks like North Shore RV Park. So if you’re looking for ways to simplify your day-to-day operations as your park grows, reach out. We’d be happy to show you what CampLife can do for your park.
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