The Canadian Ecology Centre is located on leased land within Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park. We are 30 minutes east of North Bay and 15 minutes west of Mattawa on Highway 17.

The CEC is located 2.5km from the Provincial Park entrance. Follow the signs with 3 leaves.

When entering our address in GPS units, please note that we are located in Calvin Township, not Mattawa.

The CEC operates year-round. Our main office hours can be found here. The front desk may be open during the evenings and weekends for special groups.

All of our reservations now feature contactless check in. Once final payment has been received through our online square account you will receive an email with your cabin # and an information package containing important details to help you prepare for your visit. This information package will include contact #’s for CEC staff that you can contact during your stay.

Each cabin comes with bedding (sheets, comforters and pillows) as well as a small bar fridge, a small table and 2 chairs. Cabins have hot running water (potable), a stand up shower and a flush toilet.

Towels are not provided, please bring your own faceclothes and bathtowels.

The cabins are heated in the winter. They do not have air conditioning.

For colder months, plugs are available at each cabin, please bring your own extension cords to plug in block heaters.

Check-in begins at 3pm* and check-out ends at 11am* (*these times can change depending on what groups are on site, we will advise you either upon booking, or no later than a week before your arrival if your check-in/out times differ).

Early check-ins and late check-outs can be arranged, but are not guaranteed.

All of our reservations now feature contactless check in. Once final payment has been received through our online square account you will receive an email with your cabin # and an information package containing important details to help you prepare for your visit including how to check in to your accommodations.

Yes. As a guest of the CEC, you are subject to the rules and regulations of Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, and can be charged by park wardens. This includes harvesting tree branches for roasting marshmallows or using as firewood. 

• Quiet hours are at 10:00PM… please respect others and always keep your noise levels to a minimum.
• Alcohol is only permitted in your personal cabin and in the licensed event space only. Open alcohol is prohibited anywhere else on site, including the campfire pit.
• Smoking is NOT permitted in cabins, any buildings. DO NOT throw cigarette butts on the ground, please place in a can or garbage once fully extinguished.
• Cannabis is prohibited anywhere on the CEC site as we are designated an educational facility. Please enjoy responsibly off CEC property.
• Pets must be always on a leash when outside and are not allowed in any cabins or buildings (the exception being our designated pet-friendly cabins – these must be requested upon initial booking). Pets must be crated if left unattended in cabins.
• CEC equipment (tubes, bikes, canoes) are for use with CEC educational program only and are not available to guests.
• Picnic tables are NOT TO BE MOVED from their current locations.
• Fires are only permitted in designated fire pits. Fires are NOT permitted at cabins.

Motorized vehicles such as ATV’s and Snowmobiles are not permitted to be driven within the Provincial Park.

Yes, fishing is permitted within the Provincial Park with a valid permit.

We have 28 regular cabins, with 2 double beds and 1 single top bunk. We recommend not placing more than 5 people in these cabins.

We have 4 cabins available with 3 bunk beds (6 single beds) which sleep up to 6 people.

There is room for 1 car per cabin. An overflow parking lot is located on site for additional vehicles.

The water at the CEC is regulated in accordance with all provincial laws and regulations. The water in the cabins and main buildings is potable.

Note: the water may be unsafe for persons on sodium restricted diets, so it is recommended that they bring their own drinking water.

The town of Mattawa is located 15 minutes east of the CEC on Highway 17. There are several restaurants, as well as gas stations and grocery stores. For a map of all nearby amenities, click here.

The CEC does not provide canoe rentals. Rentals are available at the Provincial Park store or at Algonquin North Outfitters on the corner of Hwy 17 and Hwy 630, 10 minutes west from the CEC.

We recommend bringing a flashlight, towels, slippers/indoor shoes for the cabins, and a travel mug as well as any other comforts you wish to have.

Country recycling programs are very different than in the city, we thank you for helping us reduce the waste being sent to the Calvin Township landfill from our Centre. When items are recycled incorrectly, the entire bag is deemed “contaminated” and will end up in the garbage at the landfill. Please follow the recycling directions on the posted signs in your cabin located above the waste bins.

Glass is not recycled in our area, please take it home with you!

All guest bookings will include a charge for a daily vehicle permit fee for each night of their stay during the Park’s operating season (May – Thanksgiving weekend). This permit allows you access to all trails and waterways within Samuel de Champlain Park and is a legal requirement of Ontario Parks. A valid permit must be displayed in your vehicle at all times. Ontario Parks seasons pass holders are exempt from this fee.

All buildings and cabins are completely smoke-free. There is a designated smoking area for tobacco use outside of the main building. Smoking tobacco products is allowed outside of each cabin with the use of a container for cigarette butts. Smoking is not allowed anywhere else on site.

Note: Since we operate primarily as an educational facility, our entire site is cannabis-free.

We operate primarily as an educational facility, therefore our entire site is completely cannabis-free.

There as NO designated smoking stations on our property for cannabis use.

Alcohol is permitted in rented cabins only. Open alcohol is not permitted in any other buildings unless under a Special Occasions permit. Open alcohol is never permitted outside of any buildings.

We have 2 designated pet friendly cabins available for rent for an additional fee. Pet owners are required to respect the following rules:

• Pets must be on a leash at all times.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times.
• A green pet waste bucket is located at the back (road side) or the dining cabin. Please ensure you pick up after your pet.
• Pets are not permitted in any CEC buildings including the shared use dining cabin with the exception of your designated pet friendly cabin.
• Pets must be always on a leash when outside.
• Pets must be crated if left unattended in cabins.

There is a shared fire pit available when not in use by scheduled programs.

Some wood is made available in the guest woodbox; extra firewood can be purchased from the Provincial Park when they are open.

Please provide your own fire starting supplies.

If you intend to roast marshmallows or hotdogs over the fire, please bring sticks from outside of the park, as harvesting “roasting sticks” inside the park is not permitted.

Meals are only provided to booked groups who have made arrangements for catering services from the CEC. Additional fees and minimum numbers apply.

There is a shared use dining facility available for guests which is equipped with a guest fridge, stove, microwave, and BBQ. We provide basic utensils and dishware; if you know there will be something specific you require, please ensure you bring it with you. Please be respectful of other guests in the shared cabin and clean up after each use.

Wi-Fi availability is intermittent and limited at our cabins. Stronger signals can be obtained outside of our main buildings. Speeds and connectivity can be greatly reduced when we have larger groups on site all accessing the Wi-Fi. Please consider downloading media at home prior to arrival to avoid streaming issues and tying up the bandwidth for other guests.