Cottage country is often socially, culturally, economically, and politically distinct from other rural areas in that it is populated by a notably higher concentration of urban vacationers and residents who have an affinity for the outdoors, in contrast to more traditional rural populations, which are largely absent of "city folk", but that is less true in Western Canada.
The Ontario media has often referred to these times of the year as a "highway blitz", which also refers to the related Ontario Provincial Police efforts to step up highway enforcement on those congested roads, which often yield record numbers of fines for motor vehicle violations.
For example, Greater Toronto residents might say, "I am heading up to cottage country this weekend", which is locally understood to be referring to Muskoka, the Kawartha Lakes, or the Haliburton area.
On the other hand, a speaker from Ottawa would typically use the same phrase to denote the Rideau Lakes area or parts of the Outaouais.
Areas referred to as cottage country include: According to the Realtors' Association of Edmonton official map (2010), the following are resort communities within 100 km of Edmonton (clockwise starting from the east): Further afield: