Naturism 101

Naturism 101 – Naturism Theory within Atlantic Canada

New Brunswick naturists are unfortunate in not having any naturist / nudist resorts within the province.  There have been some in the past – Maritans long ago, Simply Naturist Retreat more recently – but none now.  Over in Prince Edward Island their only naturist / nudist resort, the Oasis Resort near Cavendish, recently sold out and the new owners are no longer running it as a naturist venue.

Landed naturist / nudist resorts / clubs are expensive propositions.  The cost of land, buildings, amenities, maintenance, insurance, taxes, utilities and what-have-you soon add up to well beyond what a group of casual acquaintances are willing to ante up. For this reason alone we owe our thanks and our support to the good folks at The Oasis for having invested in the lifestyle.   But non-landed clubs, with varying degrees of formal club structure, rely on the private homes and facilities of club members for group activities and social gatherings.  Public beaches and remote Crown Lands may also be used for such gatherings providing the necessary arrangements have been made.

Nova Scotia does have one or two non-landed naturist/nudist clubs, Bluenose Naturists, which is FCN affiliated, and Nova Bares, which is not.  Both are located in the metro Halifax area.  NB and PEI lack even that degree of organization, neither province having a non-landed club.  But in terms of naturist beaches NB and PEI have NS beaten handily.  In NS there is Crystal Crescent Beach at the provincial park of the same name, a tiny cove with a beach of coarse sand and water colder than charity.  In contrast with this NB has Kellys Beach at Kouchibouguac and PEI has Blooming Point Beach, both of which have miles of beach on which to wander and water that is warmer by far.  Within NB there are also several great places for nude hiking and bicycling – "free-range naturism" – far from prudish eyes. 

There is a genuine need for more non-landed clubs within the Maritimes, particularly in NB and PEI.  Such clubs are sometimes referred to as nudist travel clubs and offer a means of broadening opportunities for the enjoyment of nude recreation in a variety of ways. They should be relatively easy to organize and start-up costs should be minimal.  The main problems in getting one of these clubs going seem to be making the initial contacts with fellow naturists/nudists then overcoming mutual suspicions and individual apathy.  In my estimation the last of these obstacles is the worst.  But I believe that it is possible to organize a non-landed club in NB.

I consider that the problem here is one of indoctrination.  Since childhood we have been conditioned by society to believe that being naked is somehow wrong.  As children we were all happy little nudists until we were educated to the contrary.  Those of us who escaped the shackles of that indoctrination and have become self-acknowledged nudists are sometimes reluctant to take the next step into social nudity – naturism.  By having the courage of one’s convictions and reaching out to our fellow naturists / nudists we stand to gain immeasurably by acquiring the sublime knowledge that “we are not alone.”  We are “normal.”  There is no need to harbour the visceral belief that what we are doing is somehow shameful.

Non-landed clubs often schedule activities on weekends during the summer season, often on a monthly basis. Another reason why they are sometimes referred to as travel clubs are that the members can schedule group outings to local naturist/nudist-friendly venues or even fly off to clothes-free destinations abroad.

The Federation of Canadian Naturists doesn’t seem to have a handy definition for “non-landed clubs” so I’ll borrow this one from the AANR: “clubs . . . that do not typically own or utilize a single piece of property for activities."  However, even though they are homeless, they offer expanded opportunities for the enjoyment of a clothes-free lifestyle, and more active forms of nude recreation.  In fact, they have a number of potential advantages over landed clubs.  Some of these advantages are:

    – lack of capital commitment – the club owns no property and is therefore not tied to any particular property or location, it can evolve with its membership;

    – increased convenience – by using the homes or property of club members on a rotating basis all members gain in terms of convenient access rather than the same people having to make travel arrangements every time;

    – increased frequency of club activities – freed from the driving time and the expense of going to a resort club members can organize more frequent events and therefore enjoy more frequent socializing with their naturist/nudist friends;

    – comparative low cost – non-landed clubs are much more cost effective, with low annual membership dues and activity fees being either nominal or on the basis of cost-recovery;

    – increased security – just as the Bluenose Naturists have done in Nova Scotia, any non-landed club may choose to affiliate itself with the FCN in order to assure peace of mind to potential members looking for the same non-sexualized brand of social naturism / nudism found at FCN-affiliated landed resorts; and

    – increased flexibility – non-landed clubs can hold the kinds of activities that have the greatest appeal their members, and may hold more than one type of activity simultaneously, in more than one location.

Some examples of possible club activities are:  monthly get-togethers even when the weather outside isn’t ideal for naturism, backyard barbeques, potluck dinners, nude swim parties in private or rented pools,  sports parties such as Super Bowl or Stanley Cup, movie nights, beach parties, nude hiking, and nude camping.  Some clubs organize group vacation trips to foreign naturist venues.  If indications are correct, this sort of peripatetic naturism is in the ascendant while landed clubs are in decline.  The bottom line is that almost any normal human social activity that can be enjoyed while being clothed can also be enjoyed while naked.

I have talked to and corresponded with a number of New Brunswick naturists and some seem to think that organizing a non-landed club affiliated with the FCN would be a good idea.  At the same time many have fears of somehow being “outed” in the process.  There is no reason that this should be so.  Ongoing contact among members can be facilitated over the internet and true identities are not needed, nor is there any need for membership lists that can be accessed on-line.  Beyond the virtual world there is a need for actual social interaction in the physical world, and that is something that we already have on offer from at least one potential member.

So, that is Naturism Theory 101.  Is it time to move on to Studies in Practical Naturism 201?