This will be our first vacation since arriving in Oakville Greater Toronto and we want to experience some of the great Canadian outdoors, but tame enough to satisfy a 5 year old who won't do hiking and 60 year old granny. Needs to be within driving distance (over 2 days is fine with an interesting route). We are toying with the idea of a road trip to PEI but I'm a bit concerned a) it's pretty and quaint and a bit too much like parts of England rather than the taste of the wild we are hoping for this time, and b) road trip a bit too long for a 10 day holiday? Please put me straight if you disagree. Our ideal would have a lake for swimming / messing about on boats etc, pony trekking, other kids around if not a full blown kids club, cabins to rent, woodland, bird spotting / nature spotting, bike hire... basically we want to feel like we're getting back to nature but with a cafe / shop / decent shower Something like a small scale Centreparcs would also be fine - oh yes and hubbie might have a seizure if we are nowhere near an internet cafe. Thanks in advance!

http://www.greatwolf.com/niagara/waterpark
is the only place similar to center parcs I know of,

Based on what you said Id consider heading to a B&B or cottage rental in Prince Edward COUNTY (not Island)....Its a lot closer, you can hang out at Sandbanks or Northbeach, enjoy what Ontario has to offer.

How about Scarborough, Maine. There's lovely place called the Black Point Inn. They've got golf, sailing and the food is quite good. All in all its a nice place to visit.

Or rent a houseboat in the 1000 Islands for a week.

Splendid for everyone concerned.

This is where my wife is from:

http://www.larderlake.net/

"The town with the big heart and the big trout"

The lake and beach are actually quite nice. Northern Ontario would certainly give you a taste of something different from Oakville.

My family stayed at The Baldwins on Lake Rosseau a number of times. I don't know what the place is like now, but it was perfectly ok 40 years ago.

Boston and area.

Try sunnypointresort.com It's a lovely place on Otter Lake near Parry Sound. Not the cheapest show in town but a well run place that might fit your needs.

PEI Cavendish area (lots of attractions), plus touring the island and spending some time in Charlottetown is our recommendation. I took my kid there the last couple of years (ages 4 & 5) and she loved it, especially the water park Shining Waters and Avonlea.. look up Avonlea online if you get a chance, it's basically a theme park where actors mingle with the crowd then act out a simplified version of Anne (of Green Gables) on various stages during the day, it's really well done and enjoyable, even if you're not a big fan of AoGG.

For the nature stuff, consider Parrsboro and Five Islands around the bay of Fundy in NS. You might be able to do all the above in 10 days with relative ease, only issue would be the driving on either side of the visit..

Thanks everybody, Lots of great suggestions to research further, much appreciated..

I have no idea what the costs are, but when I lived in Canada as a child we had a holiday here http://www.deerhurstresort.com/index.html

We had my disabled grandmother and my brother and sister were very little and there was lots of things to do there

Oo I think the costs might be costly as that's were the G8 beanfeast will be held.

After 40 years...visions of dereliction abound!!!!
Stef