Image Credit: ToddsRV.com
August 25, 2021 - 6:00 AM
Todd’s RV and Camping has been in Peachland longer than owner Graham Todd has been alive.
His parents started the park 65 years ago and the 61-year-old Todd is on the verge of selling to a developer and moving on.
"I started raking leaves and selling ice right from the get-go,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s time for a summer vacation.”
Todd’s been trying to sell the park for about six years but it was formally listed 3.5 years ago. He tried to get various levels of government to buy it and either maintain it as a camping spot or create a waterfront park.
There weren’t any takers.
He believes it’s the only waterfront camping spot remaining on Okanagan Lake.
READ MORE: Okanagan Lake's last private campground for sale, marking the end of an era
“A lot has changed over the years,” Todd said. “I believe, when mom and dad first started, maybe they’d do 2,500 camper nights per year. I think our best year, when it wasn’t a fire or flood or COVID, we did close to 11,000 camper nights.”
A developer is interested in buying the land.
“He’s got a couple of visions,” was all Todd was able to say about what might become of the site. The sale is contingent on getting rezoning but a formal proposal has yet to be processed by the District of Peachland.
Since COVID, there has been no tent camping at Todd’s and no washrooms. Those staying have to be self-contained.
He doesn’t yet know if he will be operating the campground next summer, or if it will be run by the new owner or whether it will be shut down altogether.
He wonders where his regulars – many of whom have become friends – will go instead.
“That is one of the biggest concerns that we have is, all these RVs that have been sold in the last year-and-a-half, where are all these people going to go?” he wondered. “Even here, we’re turning away people in February for July and August.”
There’s been a boom in RV purchases because of COVID but not necessarily an equal growth in places to camp.
“They need some government incentives to help companies start up RV parks,” Todd said. “The customers also have to realize there’s a large cost involved in setting these places up. Camping’s not just $25 a night. It’s going to be quite a bit.”
Provincial campgrounds don’t offer the same kinds of services as the private operations and it’s those extras that people want.
“With things getting hotter, people are wanting to have the luxuries of their air conditioning, the internet service, water, sewer, electricity,” Todd said. “They’re pretty nice units that they’re driving around. When you’ve got that much invested you want to have those amenities.”
In the meantime, he’s hoping that his biggest concern will be where to travel to for his long-awaited summer vacation. Vancouver Island has always intrigued him and some backcountry trips also appeal, but he’s open to suggestions.
READ MORE: Looking for an RV? Kamloops, Okanagan RV dealers are running short on supply
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