What makes our campsite such a special place is that the only rules that prevail are that of RESPECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Thus, there is no official curfew regarding campfires. However, everything must be done with respect for the neighbors, which means that around 11pm, the music and the songs must stop. You can continue to watch your fire if the group discussions do not generate too disturbing a noise.

It should also be noted that we tolerate mountain bikes for access to the trails behind the campsite. Preferably electric golf karts are also allowed (at an additional cost).

Obviously, bicycles, motorcycles, constructions of all kinds and other noisy activities must stop at dusk and until 10 am the next morning.

Here are documents with useful information that you can download.

Here you will find the official websites of associations that support and list the services offered at Camping du Québec (CDCQ, ATCQ)

For a very long time, more than a century, the current site of Camping Bernard has been a known place. In fact in those years and even before, people knew where to cross the river on horseback to get to the village of Sainte-Mélanie. It is not quite at the campsite that they passed but rather on the adjacent campsite where the mountain bike trails are now located which are the delight of many of our campers.

Indeed, as many of our campers know, the river is shallow vis-à-vis this terrain and the bottom of the river is pebble stone. So, in summer, people could pass through this place to cross and you can still see the gentle slope towards the river that once formed the path to this day. Besides, this land was inhabited and some former campers remember that there was a house there and a barn. A farmer lived there at that time.

Mr. Bernard Perreault, the farmer who owned the lot on which our beautiful campsite is now located, was growing potatoes on the future campsite. Mr. Perreault also had to go through the neighboring land to access his land, the current path to the campsite (Bernard Street) did not exist at that time.

t was around the mid-1950s that Mr. Perreault, seeing more and more people come and lounge on the natural beach that bordered his campsite in the Assumption River, had the idea of ​​starting to offer certain services to “Picnickers”. These people came from Pointe-à-Neuf-Pas (see satellite image below) from the Feuillée beach, which was much better known and accessible at that time. La Feuillée beach being very crowded, some people had the idea to swim across the river, climb the slope of Pointe-à-Neuf-Pas and cross the river again to reach the beach on the other side which we nicknamed “Bernard’s beach”. In fact, people knew that the beach was next to the lands of Mr. Bernard Perreault and that he let them enjoy it in peace since the place was less known and accessible.

Then, some people had the idea of ​​starting to camp there on weekends on the top of the beach, where streets C and D. M. Perreault are located today, seeing that this activity was increasingly popular. and that he had to start providing water, toilets and maintenance services, had at that time the idea of ​​founding what would become Camping Bernard.

Camping Bernard was founded in the early 1960s, one of the first campsites on the North Shore of Montreal, with activity being more marginal at the time. The ever increasing popularity for vacationers forced Mr. Perreault to provide easier access to the site and it was around 1965 that he began to build the access road which later became rue Bernard, a street through which all our campers are now arriving and passing through the farmland of the Perreault family.

Initially, Mr. Perreault built 4 streets for campers, streets 100, A, B, C and D. These streets still exist today. Then, he built a central sanitary block with showers and toilets, this one was located on land 106, the oldest campers will remember. It was dismantled around 2005 due to the poor condition it was in. We can still see the remains since a part still exists today, having become a small room for electrical services.

At the same time, a first gatehouse was built (see photo), a restaurant and a small toilet which was located closer to the beach (see photo). The gatehouse was replaced around 1993, the small toilet has not existed for a very long time and the restaurant quickly became the family chalet of the owners of the time, the Perreault family. At that time, around 1967, Mr. Perreault built another restaurant. It still exists today, having undergone multiple expansions and a major renovation in 2012. This building still dates from 1967!

The ever-growing interest in his campsite, Mr. Perreault had to carry out studies in order to extend the services and expand the infrastructure. It was around 1972, in anticipation of the Montreal Olympics in 1976, which were to bring a large flow of tourists, that Mr. Perreault lived very large and had development plans drawn up for nearly 800 campsite. Yes, you read that right, 800 lots and more!

He started work around 1973 and 1974 to create streets 200 and part of streets 300 and 400. It was at this time that the community hall adjacent to the restaurant was erected as well as the children’s park, the main toilet block and the laundry room (next to swimming pools). Moreover, it was also at this time that the first version of the current swimming pools were installed.

Many campers remember that these rectangular pools were completely redone in 2004, the deepest one having been redone in early summer and the other two having been redone in late summer 2004.

It was also around this time (around 1970) that the first families settled for the entire summer, bringing the first seasonal workers to Camping Bernard. Among these families, many have long been seasonal campers at Camping Bernard, one of the best known of which, many of whom still camp with us, is without a doubt the Noël family. At the time of their arrival, they had settled at the end of streets 400 and 500 and still live there. It must be said that these were almost all alone at this place! If the count is good, we can say that this family of campers has frequented our establishment, as seasonal workers, for more than 40 years. They frequented the campsite as travelers already before, so more than 45 years! Christmas is undoubtedly one of the oldest “seasonal” in Quebec!

Years passed and the windfall that the Olympics was to bring had little effect on Sainte-Mélanie. As camping activity grew in the 1970s, several campsites opened, some closer to the population pools. The crowds at Camping Bernard were not what had been planned. Mr. Perreault and his family ended up with two major businesses whose peak period was the same, that is, in the summer. On the one hand, the family farm required a lot of time and investment, and on the other, the campsite, which required the same thing to develop. Faced with the ever-increasing difficulty of having to operate the two businesses, Mr. Perreault decided to divest himself of the campsite he had founded.

It was in 1980 that Mr. Michel Roy learned that Camping Bernard was for sale. Roy was looking for a business opportunity in the region, being a businessman and accountant from Joliette. In a few visits to the site and after a few talks, an agreement was reached between MM. Roy and Perreault in April 1980. It was at this time that Mr. Michel Roy became the owner of Camping Bernard.

Mr. Roy and his brothers Gilles and Mario and his brother-in-law, the famous “Buster” jumped into the adventure with all the energy necessary to proceed with the development of the clientele. At that time, there were only about thirty seasonal workers and the campsite was in a rather clear state, the trees being small and the seasonal customers few. Imagine, the new owners could mow the lawns with a farm tractor starting from the beach and going up through the grounds to street 600 round trip !!! A mission that would now be impossible !!

In the first season, there were more activities and some of you will remember the famous caravan clubs and the “van-in” events held at the campsite. Impressive, more than 100 campers disembarked at the same time to come and spend a weekend! Needless to describe the festive atmosphere that reigned during these events!

But over the seasons, the Roy have continually added activities and games, parties, and entertainment, so the seasonal customer base has continued to grow rapidly. It was also in the early 1980s that Michel Roy saw the potential of the old barn on 600 Street. At that time, the barn was still used to store farm machinery. Mr. Roy set out to convert the place into a bingo hall! In fact, some older campers will remember that the first bingos were held on Saturday afternoon and that the barn was still on clay! The abacus was a simple crank-operated abacus! Times have changed! Mr. Roy, shortly after setting up the place, began to make a cement floor there. It was towards the end of the 1980s that the barn was enlarged to make it more or less like the one you know now. It must be said that bingo has now become an essential activity and much appreciated by customers!

Little by little, the barn was also the scene of other activities. Some will remember that at that time, there were even masses celebrated every Sunday morning! Yes yes, you read that right, a priest came to give his blessing to our campers every Sunday! It is surely for this reason that Camping Bernard has remained under a lucky star since then!

In terms of activities, the owners have always supported initiatives to create atmosphere, even going so far as to organize certain activities themselves.

It was around 1985 that the first edition of the Leisure Committee was formed as we know it today. At the time, it was mainly billiards, softball, volleyball, ball, etc. tournaments. There were rallies, parties (obviously!) And olympiads. Lots of fun and atmosphere for everyone, as it is still true in all seasons! Camping Bernard is grateful to have always been able to count on the good hearts of its campers who have, in turn, agreed to volunteer to animate the summer of campers.

Year after year, the clientele has succeeded and settled in, so that the number of seasonal workers has increased from around thirty in 1980 to over 300 to date !!! The recipe for this success is always more or less the same: pleasure while respecting the neighborhood. Although the sons of Michel Roy, Jean-François, Fabrice and Jonathan took up the torch in 2009, the philosophy remains the same: we want our campers to feel at home and enjoy their summer holidays in peace!

At the end of 2015, the campsite regains its original name: Camping à la Plage Bernard! And the story continues to this day!

Thank you to all our beautiful loyal customers since 1980!

To see all the history photos collected so far, click here !

Do you have vintage photos? Have them added to the gallery History of the campsite Bernard by emailing them info@campingbernard.com or via Facebook.