Bare Oaks – Traditional Naturist Values in a modern setting.
By Duncan Heenan
In September 2015, Vivienne and I crossed Canada overland for an adventure, and as our route took us through Toronto, we decided to visit Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park to recover from about 3,000 miles of road and rail travel, before we resumed in a hired motorhome.
I had read a lot about Bare Oaks, as they make quite a splash in Social Media, and have a high profile generally so it was intriguing to find out what the place and people were really like. Bare Oaks is a proprietary members club, about 50km north of Toronto city centre, set in the protected green belt, comprising 20 hectares surrounded by natural woodland. You get the first hint of Bare Oaks’ confident stance nearly 30km away, where signs on the main highways boldly guide you towards it. This continues at regular intervals as you get closer, in contrast to so many UK Clubs which seem to want to remain secret. An estimated 200,000 cars a day use the main highway, so the profile of naturism in Ontario generally benefits as well as advertising Bare Oaks.
On arrival at Bare Oaks, the pervading philosophy becomes immediately obvious, as the staff all work in the nude, and the introductory video proudly makes it clear that Bare Oaks is a Naturist Club & Resort, not a Clothing Optional one. This means that, unless there is some practical need to wear clothes, everyone is expected to be naked. There is a small concession for nervous first timers, but they are expected to make up their minds quite soon, and either join in or to go elsewhere. The policy emanates from the Club’s owners Linda and Stéphane Deschênes. Stéphane is the ‘Mr Naturism’ of Canada, having been President of the Federation of Canadian Naturists, and a director of INF. Though he sees a place for the Clothing Optional approach, it is not at Bare Oaks, which he considers an oasis of full naturism in the textile world. But he does not think that naturism stops with nudity, which is just a manifestation of an overarching philosophy of life involving respect for nature, people and the environment equally.
Linda and Stéphane bought the Club when its previous owners wanted to retire 9 years ago (they were already members), and renamed it after themselves - Deschênes is French for ‘of the Oaks’. Since then they have invested heavily in improving the facilities, and now it comprises a smart mobile home area, a large camping / trailer field all placements having full electricity, water and sewage facilities, toilet & shower blocks, 2 large attractive swimming lakes, a beach, a pool, 2 saunas, a large Jacuzzi, the Bare Bistro, the Bare Boutique, a gym, a hobbies and activities room, wifi and a large clubhouse and theatre building. There are also several motel rooms, and all is maintained at a high standard. This makes for a lovely physical environment which compares favourably with any club I have been to, but this was secondary to me in my enjoyment of the place. What made us extend our planned 3 days stay to 5 was the ambiance of the place.
We got an early flavour of the atmosphere when some ordinary members came to greet us with cold beers the moment we parked, and this friendliness was repeated with everyone we met. The Canadians as a whole are renown for their politeness, good behaviour and friendliness, which we witnessed for ourselves. At Bare Oaks this is added to by the accepted common ground of the naturist philosophy. I discussed this with Stéphane, who explained that by attracting only people who were prepared to accept the rules, it led to a like mindedness and mutual acceptance which was a way of living the philosophy of naturism as fully as possible, rather than the occasional hobbyist approach which he fells pervades some other venues. This may sound a little exclusive, but Stéphane is unrepentant as he says that Bare Oaks doesn’t want to attract everyone; no one is compelled to join, and everyone is told from the outset what the set-up is. All I can say is that we felt immediately as if we were part of a happy family, completely safe and able to be ourselves fully. Others clearly feel the same, as club membership has grown steadily and now stands at 550 and includes many families with children, with over 2,200 visitors a year in addition. Quite a lot of members live at the club throughout the summer, going off to work or school during the day as normal.
The naturist social atmosphere is reflected in the high profile on social media – see the website if you’d like to receive their regular blogs. Another manifestation of this is Bare Oaks’ Theatre Group, which consists of a lively group of members who regularly put on live shows both at Bare Oaks and elsewhere. How many clubs can boast that? In this way Bare Oaks is evangelical about Naturism outside its grounds as well as inside.
Our stay was blessed with Mediterranean weather, and as well as slipping down the highway to sight-see Toronto, we soaked up the sun and the atmosphere and left refreshed and relaxed to resume our travels. So what is Canada like for the naturist traveller? It is one of the loveliest and most unspoiled Countries on earth for those who love nature and stunning views. There is a lively Naturist scene in Canada, with many clubs and beaches, but the country is so huge, and they are therefore very widely spread, that you are unlikely to see more than one or two. However, out of the cities, the countryside is so big and so empty of people that the opportunities for naked rambling and swimming in the numerous lakes are endless. Canada’s harsh winters are well known, but less well known are the generally warm dry summers, in the southern parts at least. And as I have said, the people are lovely – especially the naturists.
You can learn more about Bare Oaks on
http://www.bareoaks.ca and the general Canadian naturist scene on
https://www.fcn.ca 
