In this post, we’ll tell you about our experience in Canada with pets and an RV, including border crossing, sightseeing, campground reviews, and more.
This post is the second about a long trip to Canada and New England. To read about the first leg of the trip, check out this blog post.
In an effort to make our posts easier to navigate, we’re trying out a table of contents. If you’re only interested in a specific part of a post, getting to it should be easier from here on out.
Table of Contents
Crossing the Border
We crossed into Canada at the Peace Bridge, which is just a few miles northwest of Buffalo, New York. We crossed on a Monday just before lunch (around 10:30).
Bringing the RV into Canada wasn’t nearly as eventful as we thought it would be. Before our trip, we read up on all of the rules. We made sure we didn’t have any raw meat or eggs. No fresh produce. We made sure the frozen chicken we bought said “product of USA” (or something like that). We don’t drink or smoke, so we didn’t have any alcohol or tobacco.
When we pulled up, the border agent checked our passports and wanted the truck’s plate number. They asked about what else was in the RV (alcohol, tobacco, firearms). They asked how long we’d be in Canada and what our plans were. (We gave the basics: Toronto then Montreal, two days in each, visiting the Toronto Zoo, CN Tower, etc.) Then they sent us on our way. It was a much easier experience than I expected.
Crossing back into the US was more interesting. (Be sure to read about that at the end of this post.)
We stopped at a Walmart just across the border for lunch. That’s where we discovered that our Verizon hotspot doesn’t work in Canada. That means our temperature sensors and cameras for monitoring the dogs don’t work. It’s something to think about if you travel in Canada with pets.
Driving in Canada
It seemed like a lot of road signs in Canada use pictures/symbols instead of words.
In some areas, we noticed a slightly different traffic light than what we’re used to. Instead of three circles lined up, some had four. A red circle on top, followed by a yellow circle, followed by a green circle, followed by a green arrow. The green arrow would light up first, allowing cars to proceed only if they were going straight. If the first car wanted to turn, they had to wait. A short time later, the green circle would also light up (in addition to the arrow). This meant some cars could move while pedestrians crossed. Kind of cool!
We also noticed that many of the homes in Canada have more character than those in the US. It didn’t seem to matter if it was a townhome, single-family home, or apartment building. It could be that we were just driving through nice areas, but we noticed it in Toronto and Montreal. It’s certainly not all of them, but it was something we thought multiple times.
We were unprepared for the street signs to change entirely to French when we got close to Montreal. I haven’t used my three years of high school French since, well, high school. Saying it is rusty is an understatement. Thank goodness for modern technology. With the help of Google Translate, I could look up anything I didn’t know. My French is still terrible, but I think it improved a little in the time we were there.
Another thing to note is about the grocery stores. We weren’t surprised that the available brands were different. What surprised us was the different products/flavors in the same brands we have at home.
Where We Stayed
Grangeways RV Park
Grangeways RV Park is further from Toronto than we would have liked, but we had trouble finding a campground with full hookups much closer. It’s a 40-minute drive from the Toronto Zoo and about an hour drive from the CN Tower. However, it’s quiet and scenic and worked out just fine for us.
| Campground Name | Grangeways RV Park |
| Location | Sandford, ON L0C 1E0, Canada |
| Dates | May 26-28, 2025 |
| Site Number | Site 28 |
| Surface | sand/gravel |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups |
| Cost | $75.09 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | 40 psi |
| Voltage | 115 V |
The campground has a pool and a playground. The mini golf course is…sad, but it’s there. There’s a creek that runs through the middle of the campground and adds to the charm.
About 75% of the campground is for seasonal use (we guess). When we visited, maybe 95% of those sites were taken, but I’d guess less than 25% of those actually had someone living there at that moment.
The section with nightly sites, where we stayed, was pretty empty. I’d guess about 5% of the nightly sites were taken. We didn’t have neighbors in the site immediately to our left or right. It was so quiet we were able to sit outside and enjoy the weather with the dogs.
Our site was a little short but, otherwise, quite nice. We had afternoon shade and a decent-sized grassy area on the fun side of the RV.
Montreal South KOA Journey
Overall, Montreal South KOA Journey is a nice campground. There’s a pool and a playground. It was pretty empty while we were there. Our water connection didn’t work. We spoke to an employee about it who said they’d fix it. Since they confirmed no one was staying there, we went ahead and connected to the water at the next campsite.
| Campground Name | Montreal South KOA Journey |
| Location | 130 Mnt Monette, Saint-Philippe, QC J0L 2K0, Canada |
| Dates | May 28-30, 2025 |
| Site Number | Site C9 |
| Site Surface | gravel |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups |
| Cost | $107.23 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | 40 psi |
| Voltage | 120-125 V |
| Verizon Speed Test | 324 Mbps down; 29 Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | 37 Mbps down; 1.23 Mbps up |
The dog park is very small, but Corona and Aiken still thought it was adequate for a quick game.
One question we still have is about the patio sites. It seems the “patio” site type has more than one meaning. For example, the site we stayed in is called a patio site. It was a gravel site for parking with a concrete pad with a picnic table. Then we came across this site, which is also considered a patio site, but it includes a glider, patio table/chairs, and some sort of heating thing. The site is also the size of two sites. We never asked about it, so it’s still a mystery for us.
It’s worth noting that the bathhouse is way nicer on the inside than it looks on the outside.
What We Did
Toronto
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Sibbald Point Provincial Park is less than 20 minutes from the campground. It was $21 for a day pass. We didn’t actually stay very long, but Aiken had such a good time!
We switched him to his long leash and he ran back and forth biting and chasing waves.
He also swam for the first time! Technically he swam once before, but I think he was following me across a river and didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. (Because he refused to come back across until I found him a shallower spot.)
This time, we threw a stick and he chose to swim a short way to get it. Twice!
Aiken had a fabulous time at Sibbald Point, but we will never forget the bugs. I have never seen so many bugs. I waved my arms back and forth as we made our way from the truck to the water, knocking bugs aside. It felt like walking through clouds of them. Any time you opened the truck doors, at least a dozen of them made it inside. They weren’t mosquitoes (I don’t think) but I can’t identify them. The video doesn’t really show what it was like, but it’s better than nothing.
Toronto Zoo
In an effort to limit the time the dogs were alone in the RV, we only planned on a few hours at the zoo. Because of that, we didn’t see everything, but I was impressed by what we did see.
If you’re in the area and planning to visit the Toronto Zoo, I wouldn’t plan a tight schedule for the day. I’m sure the time it takes to get around the entire zoo varies, but there is a lot to see! I’d recommend not having any important plans in case you want to stay longer than you planned.
I don’t think I’ve seen Arctic wolves in a zoo before. Their exhibit was simple, in that there wasn’t much stuff in it, but it seemed like a good size with places for the wolves to get out of sight if they wanted to.
As a wildlife nerd, I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of species that aren’t usually seen in zoos. The wombat, spectacled owl, Nile softshell turtle, green crested basilisk, and orangutan are just a few that come to mind.
Also, I always appreciate clever signage. (Bonus: Can you spot the actual seriema who makes an appearance in this photo?)
And anything unusual that gets guests to think about their own behavior, like this decibel reader.
The zoo has several buildings with multiple exhibits inside it. The African Rainforest pavilion had twists and turns and seemed to go on forever. I’m still not sure I saw all the animals in it. I think it was my favorite part of the zoo.
I have never heard of the Nile softshell turtle. Nor have I ever seen a softshell turtle that size! She was easily 3 feet long. The signage talks about these turtles being curious and playful. It certainly seemed that way because she picked up her head when I came over. It felt like she was looking right at me.
CN Tower
From the zoo, we drove to the Agincourt GO parking lot. We got really lucky and found one parking spot. Then we took the train to Union Station and walked to the CN Tower. The train was clean and comfortable. We were a little surprised to learn that food and drink is allowed on the train.
At the CN Tower, we got the premier experience tickets which really cut down on the lines. It did cost extra, but that was worth it to us since we wanted to minimize the time the dogs had to be alone. It also gets you I think 10% (maybe more) in the gift shop.
The views are quite impressive!
Montreal
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
We went to Notre Dame twice. The first time, we went during the regular hours and looked around on our own. It is stunning. I would love to come to a service here, but Masses are said in French, so I wouldn’t understand any of it.
Later, we came back for what they call the AURA tour. This is something you must sign up for/purchase tickets for in advance. On the website, the tour is described as “an immersive lighting experience.” They don’t allow photos/videos during the experience, but they have a video on the website that will give you a better idea of what happens than my description will.
I’m having trouble sorting out my impression of it. It felt a little like the light shows people set up at Christmas and projected onto their houses, with lights timed to music. Different parts of the church would light up in different colors, and it would change to the beat of the music. At the beginning, I heard what sounded like organ music. I enjoyed pretending it was the church’s actual organ. Later the music changed, sounding less church-like.
Overall, it was interesting to see, and it was nice to have even more time to look at things. I think I’m glad we did it once. I would absolutely come back to see the church, but I don’t think we’d do the AURA experience again.
Notre Dame AURA Tips
Be sure to buy tickets in advance, either online or in person. The in-person ticket window closes I Think at 4:00 and the AURA experience starts at 6:00, so you won’t be able to buy tickets when you arrive.
Come early. The tickets say to get there 15 minutes early, and we were there a few minutes before that. By then, many of the pews were full.
Mount Royal
Mount Royal Park is one of Montreal’s largest greenspaces. If you’re ever in the area, with or without dogs, it should definitely be on your list. There are hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, scenic overlooks, and more. They even have a cafe and gift shop.
At the Kondiaronk lookout, you’ll find amazing views, as well as restrooms, a coffee shop, and a gift shop.
The trails are all different. You’ll find paved trails, dirt trails, and even a boardwalk through wetlands.
Ecomuseum Zoo
Ecomuseum Zoo is unlike most other zoos. It is an outdoor-only zoo and houses species native to Québec. The exhibits are simple and look a little overgrown, but I don’t think the animals want manicured lawns, so they’re probably perfectly happy with them that way.
The raccoons were all down on the ground during our visit, but this sign indicates they can (and do) climb the trees in their space.
I believe this is the first fisher I’ve seen in person.
This zoo has a great playground for when the kids need some time to run, jump, and climb.
They also built this observation platform that appears to be geared toward kids, since there are no stairs to the top. You have to climb up, which I did.
The Great Wheel of Montreal
The Great Wheel of Montreal is similar to Myrtle Beach’s SkyWheel if you’ve ever been there. From the top, you get some lovely views of the city.
The area is a good place to walk around. There are some food options and some shopping/souvenir shopping on a boardwalk of sorts.
Montreal with Kids Travel Tip
Parents of small kids, there’s a playground just a short walk from the wheel, in case their brains need some unstructured play. It’s close to the water, but it’s tucked behind a long building, so you may never notice it if you don’t go exploring. Just look up Playground at the Old Port in Google Maps.
List for Next Time
There’s never enough time to see everything. Here’s our list of things we want to see/do the next time we’re in Montreal.
- Montreal Science Center
- Montreal Biodome
- Granby Zoo
Where We Ate
Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse
We really enjoyed Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse. The burgers were delicious! The fries were simple, but cooked perfectly.
Two burgers, each with fries and a fountain drink, came out to $50.79 Canadian (including tax).
Chocolats Favoris
Wow! I’ve never seen a place like this. Saying they have soft-serve ice cream and a variety of dipping and topping options seems too simplified.
I got vanilla/chocolate swirl dipped in milk chocolate and topped with sprinkles and brownie bites in a cup. It was delicious. My only complaint is the thickness of the chocolate dip made it difficult to eat. I had to hack at it with my spoon. I can’t imagine trying to eat that from a cone.
On the way out I saw a sign that said something about a thinner coating. That might fix the issue, but no one mentioned it when we ordered, and I didn’t see the sign until we were on our way out. Overall, it was delicious, but I’m glad I got the smallest size. I couldn’t have eaten anything more.
Crossing the Border (Back to the USA)
We were surprised that crossing the border to come back into the US was more intense than getting into Canada.
We crossed back into the US at the St-Armand/Philipsburg station, which put us on I-89 in Vermont. Apologies in advance for how badly I’m about to describe this. I have no photos to help, so I made some additions to a screenshot from Google Maps.
The border crossing is very similar to a highway toll booth. It is several lanes wide, and each lane has a manned booth. Each lane/station has some concrete islands (the height of a regular curb) and some higher posts to separate it from the other lanes. I circled those in red in the image below. The problem we ran into was the approach to the stations is not straight. Think about the “lane shift ahead” sign on the highway; the lanes make a curve. The path of one lane is the long, red line in the image below.
If you’re familiar with towing, you know that curving lanes and concrete posts do not mix well. We were in one of the middle lanes with cars on either side of us, so there wasn’t much we could do. Jesse handled it like a pro, but we had only inches to spare between the concrete post and the side of the RV when we went through. We definitely had the border crossing agent (and ourselves) concerned.
Once we actually made it to the booth in our lane, the agent in the booth wanted our passports and confirmed it was just us and two dogs. An agent outside a different booth crossed over into our lane and asked for the keys to the trailer. From watching via the truck mirrors, I could tell he unlocked the RV, put down the stairs, and went inside. We were never asked to get out of the truck, so we still don’t know what he looked at once inside.
Surprisingly, they never asked to see any paperwork about the dogs. (They definitely knew we had at least one dog, because Aiken popped up and hung his paws over the net between the front and back seats. He only barked once, so we think he did a good job.) Jesse did fill out a CDC Dog Import Form online (one for each dog) before we left on the trip, so it’s possible they had access to that and therefore didn’t need to see anything else.
Happy travels!
