SIX MILE LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK, ONTARIO: CAMPING IN 2024 AND 2025

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Six Mile Lake Provincial Park may not rank among Ontario’s top destinations, and it does have its drawbacks—many visitors complain about traffic noise from Highway 400. Yet its proximity to Toronto (169 km), along with its lakes, forests, beaver ponds, beaches, and scenic trails, makes it a wonderful place to visit.

Park Road

My first visit to this park took place in July 1993, just a month after I had purchased a brand-new Toyota Corolla, with Tadeusz Pasek, a well-known Polish yoga instructor, and his son Chris. The next day, we rented a motorboat and spent the entire day—from sunrise to sunset—on Georgian Bay, fishing. I remember that we caught plenty of fish. On the adjacent campsite a gentleman of Japanese origin and his family was camping. It turned out that his name was Fujimoto and he was professor of physics. Not only that—he knew quite well Chris’ university friend as well! Isn't the world a small place? Since then I have visited the park over 20 times.

For the Canada Day long weekend in June/July 2024, I managed to reserve a beautiful, private, spacious, and picturesque campsite (44°53'53.7"N 79°45'22.7"W / 44.898250, -79.756300) for a week.

I set up my tent here

After a few days of solo camping in 2024, my friend Guy joined me. Although the park was packed over that popular weekend, we only saw a handful of occupied sites around the beaver pond. Otherwise, we barely noticed the crowds, as we spent our time in long, engaging conversations, sharing stories from our lives and camping adventures.

Back in 2009, Guy had founded and led a www.meetup.com group called “Toronto Weekend Adventurers”, which quickly grew to thousands of members and organized countless events. Although he had not been active in the group for years, he still had a wealth of fascinating stories to tell!

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If you’ve read my other blogs, you’ve probably come across more than one instance of my favorite theme: the world is a small place. These moments usually come with a story attached—and, as I mentioned Guy earlier, this seems like the perfect opportunity to share yet another one.

Guy brought a huge Bluetti Power Station as well as 400 W Solar Panels, which very quickly recharged the power station. In addition, he brought a plug-in 12 V fridge. The fridge, of course made in China, had the following label attached:

Guy’s father was a Belgian official who served in the Belgian Congo during the 1950s and 1960s. Although Guy himself was born in Belgium, he spent several formative years living in the Congo. The country became independent on June 30, 1960, with Patrice Lumumba assuming office as its first head of government.

The apartment building on the left--44 Syreny Street--even my balcony on the 6th floor is visible! The other similar buildings behind it were located on Lumumby Street (now Płocka Street). This photo was part of a documentary, made in 1969

Before continuing, allow me a short personal detour—because this is, after all, a story within a story within yet another story. As a child, from 1963 to 1969, I lived on Syreny Street in Warsaw, Poland. Not far from our home was a street named after Patrice Lumumba. As a result, I became familiar with that name at a very young age, long before I had any real understanding of who he was. Later, driven by curiosity, I looked him up and learned more about him. On more than one occasion in adult life, I managed to impress my conversation partners by correctly pronouncing his name and casually explaining who he was and why he mattered. As for Lumumba Street itself, it existed under that name from 1961 until 1993, when—following the fall of communism—it reverted to its original historical name, Płocka Street.

But back to the Congo. Only a week after independence, a violent rebellion broke out, and in many regions Europeans became direct targets. Within weeks, the Belgian military—followed by a United Nations intervention force—began evacuating the vast majority of the more than 80,000 Belgians who were still living and working in the country. Among those evacuated were Guy and his family, who eventually returned safely to Belgium, where they were welcomed by Queen Elisabeth of Bavaria (Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie), the Queen Dowager.

After his Congo assignment, Guy’s father continued his diplomatic career, becoming a Belgian consular official (and for a time a consul) first in New York City and later in Toronto—where he lived along with his family, of course. Although I met both Guy and his father only in 2007, it’s quite possible that our paths had crossed many times long before that. The Belgian Consulate in Toronto was located on the 19th floor of the Royal Bank Building at 8 King Street East—a building that, when completed in 1915, was the tallest in the British Empire.

In front of 8 King Street East in Toronto, with my friend and co-worker. This photo was taken on August 03, 1985-over 40 years ago!

Nota bene, almost directly vis-à-vis that office building stood the famous King Edward Hotel, where in May 1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed in the same Royal Suite in which the Beatles had lived in 1964. During that visit, they held press conferences promoting their “bed-in for peace” campaign and met with fans and the media just a few days before their famous Montreal bed-in.

King Edward Hotel in Toronto. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Edward_Hotel_2025.jpg 

Also, during her stay in Toronto in 1988 for the G7 Summit, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stayed at the King Edward Hotel. That day I was, for the first time, late for work, having waited in front of it for half an hour before she finally appeared and waved in our direction.

8 King Street East, Toronto-The Royal Bank Building. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Bank_Building_Toronto_1.jpg

As it happens, at the end of 1982 I landed my very first job in Canada in that same building, 8 King Street East, also on the 19th floor, in a small investment brokerage firm. From time to time, I would run into employees of the Belgian Consulate—quite possibly including Guy’s father—without having the slightest idea of how our lives would later intersect.

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In September, 2025, I invited Guy again along with two other friends, but the forecast called for days of rain, so no one came. I decided to go anyway and left home early morning. I stopped at Tim Hortons jus off Highways 400 in King City, my de rigueur stop for decades (43°53'42.1"N 79°33'28.6"W / 43.895030, -79.557930). 

I noticed a big sign: "Pumpkin is Here" (Starbucks advertising Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Pumpkin Spice Latter). I immediately took a photo and sent it to Catherine with the following message: "It says that you are here, but I can't find you!" Just to clarify: I often call Catherine "Pumpkin"! 

Later I stopped in another Tim Hortons in Port Severn, arriving on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.  It was cloudy, hot, and humid; the rain held off until late evening. I camped on the same campsite Guy and I had camped in 2024. Thanks to my tarp, I was able to sit outside comfortably while it poured through the night and early morning.

In September, 2025, I pitched the tent on the same spot

The gentle sound of rain on the tent was so soothing that, after waking around 8 a.m., I drifted back to sleep and finally got up at 11 a.m., just as the rain stopped. From Friday through Monday the weather turned sunny and dry, and I was very glad I hadn’t canceled the trip.

The view from my campsite was just awesome!

For the first four nights, I seemed to be the only camper in my area—pure serenity! The park filled up for the weekend, but by Sunday evening it was quiet again, most sites already vacant.

Beavers were my constant companion!

During both trips, I pitched my tent in the same spot—about 2 meters from the beaver pond and 7 meters from the beaver lodge. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the park, in my opinion. I spent hours watching the beavers, who were especially active in September 2025. At almost any time, one or more could be seen swimming, dragging branches, eating, grooming, or waddling awkwardly on land near my site. Sometimes I saw as many as four at once!

Even very hardworking beavers sometimes decide to give up their "project"!

They weren’t exactly tame, but as long as I simply observed or took photos, they ignored my presence. Watching them was endlessly entertaining. At night, as I drifted off to sleep, I’d hear their loud tail slaps echoing across the pond.

The beaver pond and (on the right) the beaver dam, without which it would become a muddy, shallow swamp

In previous years, I’d often seen a great blue heron at the beaver pond, but none appeared during these trips. A warden later told me that herons had still been sighted recently, so perhaps it was just temporary. Most migrate south by mid-September, so I probably missed them.

Chipmunks were always chasing one another and collected acorns

The only other animals I saw regularly were chipmunks, scurrying back and forth collecting acorns. Being territorial, they frequently chased one another away. Surprisingly, they were not very friendly and never approached me—unlike in many parks, where chipmunks quickly associate people with food.

View from my campsite

Black bears are rare here, and staff confirmed there had been no sightings for months. Raccoons, though often active at night, didn’t appear during either of my visits. Although rattlesnakes were in the area (I encountered one in 2022), there were none in the park due to the tens of thousands of tourists visiting the park every year.

View of my tent from a campsite on the opposite end of the beaver pond

When camping with Guy, we had a campfire each night and stayed up past midnight talking. He brought along a new Bluetti Power Station and four solar panels, which he charged under the sunny skies. In 2025, I brought a smaller Bluetti Power Station of my own—enough for my modest needs. Since the weather was cloudy, I skipped the solar panel and instead charged it at the park’s comfort station. Using the “turbo charge” mode, it reached almost full power in under an hour, while I relaxed in the car with a book or took a refreshing shower in the new facilities. I didn’t bother with campfires in 2025—I don’t particularly enjoy sitting by one alone. For breakfast I had fiber cereal along with six lemons and two oranges, which I squeezed into a large glass of fresh juice each morning. One day I drove to Port Severn’s Tim Hortons (44°53'53.7"N 79°45'22.7"W / 44.898250, -79.756306) for coffee and a muffin.

Do not laugh, but this was my daily breakfast!

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, I drove to the Canadian Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland (44°44'11.8"N 79°50'32.2"W / 44.736611, -79.842278) to attend an evening healing Mass celebrated by Fr. John O’Brien, S.J., whom I had first met in Midland on August 7, 2022 and who also directed retreats at the Manresa Jesuit Retreat Center in Pickering, Ontario, which I had attended annually since 1994. After the Mass, I stopped by Walmart to buy a fresh salad—after several days without greens, my body was craving them!

The Martyrs' Shrine in Midland, Ontario

Just a few meters from the beaver pond, beside my tent, I found a rock formation shaped like a “chair,” where I could sit fairly comfortably. I set up my phone on a tripod and used it to talk with people worldwide through an English-practice app. Because the background included the pond, trees, and beaver lodge, some of my conversation partners thought I was using a virtual background—until they saw a real beaver swim by, at which point they were in awe of Canadian nature!

My favourite spot next to my tent, where I read books, watched the beavers or chatted on cam

Along with my Chromebook, I brought several books, though I spent little time reading—I much preferred soaking in the natural surroundings. I did, however, finish Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black by Gregory Howard Williams, a fascinating memoir. Williams grew up in 1950s Virginia believing he was White—his dark-skinned father passed as Italian-American—but after moving to Muncie, Indiana, he learned the truth about his heritage and began living, along with his brother, as Black. Despite poverty and hardship, he earned multiple degrees and eventually became president of the University of Cincinnati and later of the City College of New York.

The author was brutally honest, describing his life. When he moved with his father to Indiana and started living as Black, his mother left him, his brother and his father and lived far from them. One day his father said to him that he saw his mother, who lived in Washington “with that black bastard she ran off with” and “asked how you boys were doing”. When the author’s brother asked his father what he told her, his father said, “I told her you were in Muncie, learning how to be niggers!”

Gregory Howard Williams

After finishing the book, I wanted to write him a note of appreciation, only to learn that he had passed away just a month earlier, on August 12, 2025, at age 81.

Morning exercises as well as listening to an audiobook

Several times I stopped by the park store for coffee ($2.15 per cup) and enjoyed chatting with a friendly warden who shared a few stories about the park and his work.

One of the better campsites in the park, on which I used to camp numerous times with Catherine, Chris, Patrizia, Guy and Zoran

I left the park on September 29, 2025, fairly early. Traffic was light, but approaching Toronto, I decided to make life easier by taking the toll highway 407 and avoiding possible congestion on Highway 401.

One more photograph showing the view from my campsite!

Both outings were easy, peaceful, and thoroughly enjoyable. And while I love camping in more remote locations, I’d gladly return to Six Mile Lake Provincial Park anytime—even for just a few days!

THIS BLOG JEST DOSTĘPNY W JĘZYKU POLSKIM/THIS BLOG IS AVAILABLE IN THE POLISH LANGUAGE

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