Au Naturel
The History of Nudism in Canada

James Woycke, Ph.D.
ISBN 0-9682332-3-6

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Table of Content

Preface

Abbreviations

Chapter One:

Bare Beginnings
A survey of the unorganized forms of nudity in the life experiences of later nudists, including skinny dipping, private and family nudity and sunbathing, the role of military service during the Second World War in diffusing knowledge and practice of nudism, the role of magazines in providing information, and the contribution of immigrants since 1945.

Chapter Two:

Getting Started
The role of the Canadian Sunbathing Association and its successors in sparking and coordinating the development of clubs in Canada.The chapter discusses the legal status of nudism in Canada, the organization and development of proprietary and cooperative clubs, and the challenge of developing clubs and facilities with limited resources.

Chapter Three:

Evergreen Tans
British Columbia was one of two early centers for the growth of nudism.This chapter traces the informal origins on Vancouver Island in the 1930s and the emergence of mainland clubs from 1939.Some of the early clubs are still operating in and near Vancouver.

Chapter Four:

Raw Hides
Nudist clubs appeared in Alberta in the 1920s and 1930s, and eventually spread to all major cities in the Prairie provinces.

Chapter Five:

Dawn in the East
Dawn in the East. The Sun Air club of Ontario attracted nudists from all over Eastern Canada during the 1940s, many of whom started their own clubs. One of these, Sunglades. faced official harassment in Toronto and eventually folded. But members went on to create one of the largest continuing clubs in Canada, Glen Echo, in the Aurora-Achomberg area.

Chapter Six:

Ontario Outdoors
From the mid-1950s Ontario took over from B.C. as the leading region for nudism in Canada. The arrival of British, German, and Dutch immigrants with nudist experience sparked the rapid growth of a dozen clubs across Ontario, including such large-scale resorts as Glen Echo, Sun Valley, and Four Seasons--famous for its Miss Nude World contests.

Chapter Seven:

Trouble in Paradise
Quebec was home to two large clubs after the Second World War. Both faced police harassment during the Duplessis era; one closed under pressure, the other was forcibly suppressed after a bitter court fight. There would be no other clubs in Quebec until the Quiet revolution.

Chapter Eight:

Québec Libre
In 1960 the Quiet Revolution revived the prospect for nudism in Quebec. Several francophone clubs had formed in Ontario and Vermont after the Quetans disaster, but by 1971 there was an explosion of clubs within Quebec which quickly attracted thousands of members. Quebecers even had their own club in Florida, the Jupiter Sunshine Garden.

Chapter Nine:

A Mari usque ad Mare
This chapter surveys the history of Canada's nude beaches, from the world famous Wreck Beach in Vancouver to Crystal Crescent in Halifax and the recent legalization of Hanlan's Point in Toronto. Lakes and rivers throughout Canada provide secluded free beach areas in every province.

Chapter Ten:

A House Divided
The political rise and fall of the Canadian Sunbathing Association from its founding in 1947 until its breakup in 1960, highlighting the problems of running a nationwide organization for a minority lifestyle on a volunteer basis from a distant corner of the country. Disputes between East and West would cripple the CSA.

Chapter Eleven:

The Three Solitudes
After the demise of the CSA, regional successor organizations appeared in Ontario, the West, and Quebec. Ontario continued to be plagued by internal problems, and all organization there ceased in 1977.

Chapter Twelve:

Nudism Today
Contemporary nudism and nude recreation in Canada, including the Federation of Canadian Naturists which provides a nationwide umbrella organization and maintains close ties with American and European organizations, including the International Naturist Federation, a UNESCO affiliate.

Notes:

www.fcn.ca/history/endnotes.html

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