Colleen Eddy fills the bird feeders hanging from a tree just behind her motorhome.
“It’s just so peaceful. It’s just so nice,” said the camper who spends the winters in Mexico and six month living with her husband Ivan and dog Turbo at the Devon Lions Campground.
“Last year was my first year and I met some of my favourite people ever here in the campground. They went away for the winter and came back again and we were all excited,” Eddy said.
Eddy describes the community of 70 seasonal campers as “tight.”
“We don’t want people here. There are snakes and alligators. Don’t come,” laughs Eddy. “We don’t like to tell everybody about it. It’s so nice here. It’s a hidden gem.”
The campground, established in 1957 on the bank of the North Saskatchewan River, is in the town of Devon, 40 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.
Volunteers with the Lions service club built up the 235-site facility with four playgrounds, biking and hiking trails and spots to hit the river on a canoe or kayak right next to the 18-hole golf course.
“This is its own little community, where everybody here from the seasonals all the way to our weekenders that are only here for a couple of nights, all sort of work together,” said Kara Raines who’s in charge of campground bookings.
Raines estimates the 40-acre site welcomes 40,000 guests each year, some for events like weddings or activities like cross-country skiing but mostly for family camping.
“Most people, when they check in, they’re so excited because it’s a mini holiday for them. Then it becomes exciting for us in the office because they’re excited and everybody is essentially happy campers down here.”
Dixie Lacey would count herself among those campers. She and her husband Andy have parked their RV at the campground for half a year since 2015.
“I love all the trees behind us. That’s the most amazing thing and the neighbours, perfect, great neighbours,” Lacey said.
“Everybody is about everybody. Yesterday I took off without letting anybody know where I was so when I got home they were like, ‘You should have let us know.’ It’s a tight little community down here all looking after each other.”
Lacey spends her days taking bike rides around the campground, visiting friends and enjoying nature.
“It’s my little haven, my lifestyle, camping all the time. This is our life out here.”
