They start them young in Timmins.
Packing up for the ‘May run’ weekend is a lot of work and everyone is expected to pitch in.
“They have to get used to loading up,” said Brian Jones, a cottage owner.
“I'm not getting any younger. They’re going to have to do more and more as the years go on. This is the training.”
Jones is a lifelong Timmins resident and he said May run is just what you call this holiday weekend.
In most parts of the country, the long weekend is known as the Victoria Day weekend or May 24.
But in Timmins, Kapuskasing and surrounding towns, it's called ‘May run’ weekend.
“People say 'hey, what's that?' it's a Timmins phrase,” said Jones.
“I don't know where it came from. There are a lot of theories, but it seems to be unique to Timmins."
Guy Lamarche is also a native of Timmins. He’s been working in the tourism industry since 1977, and he told CTV the May run is a big deal in this area.
“People have cabin fever,” said Lamarche, Tourism Timmins manager.
“We want to get out, to kick start what is hopefully a good summer and that's the beginning of that process. I can also tell you from the tourism stand point this is a very important weekend for the tourism industry. They too are mobilized and have camps are at the ready and they are now welcoming their first guests of their season."
May run is typically when people head to their cottages or camps, as people in the north like to call them.
Anglers will also tell you May run is when the fish are running. The third Saturday in May is when the walleye fishing season opens, and pickerel is everyone's first choice for fresh water fish up in the Timmins area.
