Article Summary
Whether you cottage in Ontario, BC, Quebec or the Maritimes, you can almost always find signal on Telus and Bell cell phone networks. Rogers suffers spotty service in more remote areas but their 3G network can reach low-lying lakehouses. Rogers, Freedom and Videotron all use partner networks when signal drops, so make sure your plan includes extended coverage.
The first long weekend of the summer is here!
Whether you are heading to the cabin, a cottage on the lake, or camping in one of Canada's thousands of national, provincial and territorial parks then you're probably looking to simplify your life by turning off the phone and just enjoying the scenery.
Disconnecting can be great for relaxing but stressful if you worry about emergencies. Can you be contacted if something goes wrong back home? Will you be able to call for help if you need it?
Even if you're going on vacation just to catch up on all your Netflix shows then you'll probably want a reliable cell phone signal. Our guide helps you find out what signal is like in some of Canada's best cottage destinations.
I'm #TeamGeorgianBay. Tell us where you go to relax in the comments below.
Check Signal When You Get There
Punch your cottage's address (or a nearby postal code) into the Coverage Check field of our mobile plan tool. We'll show you what carriers can cover your summer home and a few cell phone plans to get you the access you want.
Even if coverage looks to be strong in your area, Canada's characteristic low-lying lakes carved out by the glaciers may hide your nearest cell tower behind a hill. Here's a few tips:
- Check signal at different places on your property - Full signal near the road may suddenly become zero signal when you go down to the dock
- If different family members are with different cell phone providers, check their service too
- Make sure to check again part way through the summer since new cell towers may be built or go down for repair
- Consider keeping an emergency phone for as little as $25/year in a cupboard
Did we miss your favourite vacation region? Let us know in the comments below. We'll scan the area and help you find the best coverage.
Keep an eye open for unusually tall pine trees. Cell towers are dressed up to fit in with the forest. When you see them then they stick out like a sore thumb, but I admit I've driven by these unique towers more than once without noticing them.
Cottage Country Coverage in Ontario
Cottage Country is the name given to almost any region you travel to just to get out of the city. There are more than 50 cities across the province but there are even more townships, beaches and lakes where you can set up your Muskoka chair and relax. Below is a general overview, but if we miss the secluded spot where you vacation, read our guide for complete information on cell phone coverage in Ontario.
Cell Phone Coverage in Muskoka, Haliburton and the Kawarthas
Whether you go north on the 400, up Highway 11, or around Lake Simcoe on Highway 12, Muskoka features excellent 4G-LTE coverage by Rogers, Bell and Telus. Low-lying lakes may cause holes in service if the nearest cell tower is behind a hill, but a short walk should give you a few bars of service.
Coverage in Algonquin Provincial Park is exclusively available to Bell and Telus customers. The southern arm of the park features good coverage for portaging with occasional dead zones. Paddle too far north into the park and you'll need smoke signals to get your message out. Rogers and Fido customers with access to extended coverage will receive signal on Highway 60 through the park, but that's about it.
Cell Phone Coverage on Ottawa River and Rideau
Ottawa features the best coverage in the entire country, enjoying service from no fewer than five networks. If you follow the Ottawa river, you'll enjoy full service from all three major networks all the way to North Bay. Videotron's service ends around Renfrew and the Freedom Network drops out even sooner. Both will continue providing you service on partner networks so make sure your plan includes that service.
South on the Rideau to the Rideau Lakes, there's comprehensive coverage by Bell, Rogers and Telus. Videotron customers need access to partner networks here too, but service picks up again for Freedom Mobile users as you approach Brockville.
Cell Phone Coverage in South Central Ontario
Whether you stay on Lake Erie, you vacation in Wasaga Beach, go west to Grey-Bruce or settle in Prince Edward County then you will enjoy comprehensive coverage by all three networks. Southern Ontario features nearly complete coverage by Bell, Rogers and Telus.
Freedom has service up Highway 400 and along the 401, but most vacation destinations far from the city rely on Freedom's partner networks. If you're with Freedom, make sure you have a talk, text and data (if necessary) for on the Freedom National Network before you leave.
Cell Phone Coverage in Quebec Chateau Regions
Some of Canada's oldest and most beautiful cities to visit are in Quebec. But if you already live there, you might want to get out of the city and take advantage of the even more impressive wilderness in La Belle Province.
If there's somewhere unique you love to vacation, you can read our more detailed guide to mobile coverage in Quebec.
Cell Phone Coverage in Gatineau and The Outaouais
Coverage around Ottawa is some of the best in Canada. Bell, Rogers and Telus networks feature complete 4G coverage throughout the region.
Because Videotron's coverage reaches into Ontario here, coverage reaches from the city all the way up Route 105. East towards Montreal receives excellent service from Videotron, but northwest service relies on partner networks. If you're planning to travel up the Ottawa river with a Videotron phone, make sure you have access to partner networks.
Cell Phone Coverage in The Laurentians
Oh, I love the Laurentians though I admit I've only ever visited in the winter. No matter which network you're on, you should get from Montreal to Mont-Tremblant without dropping signal. If you're going further, Route 117 features coverage all the way northwest to Ontario but Videotron switches over to partner networks past Mont-Laurier.
Cell Phone Coverage in the Eastern Townships
As you travel from Montreal or Quebec City towards the Appalachians, the land becomes more mountainous and more difficult for cell phone signals. Even with this challenge, the area features comprehensive coverage from Bell, Rogers, Telus and even Videotron.
Cell Phone Coverage on the Saint Lawrence
Coverage between Gatineau, through Montreal and past Quebec City gets full coverage by Bell, Rogers, Telus and Videotron along Routes 20 and 40. Further downstream along Côte-Nord service remains along the major routes. Videotron and Rogers signal becomes increasingly spotty until Baie Comeau when signal is only found on Bell and Telus Networks.
On the south shore, Videotron covers until Rimouski but has no coverage on the Gaspé Peninsula. Rogers is also largely absent here except where it gets close to New Brunswick's border. Bell and Telus cover the shoreline of Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands.
Cell Phone Coverage on Coastline Maritimes
Summary: The Maritimes are well served by all three networks, but if you leave town a lot then get a phone using Bell or Telus networks. Rogers has service in low-populated areas, but relies heavily on extended coverage provided by Bell and Telus cell phone towers.
Up and down the shoreline of the Bay of Fundy is well covered by Bell and Telus. Rogers signal is weak except near Saint John, NB but Rogers and Fido customers can get extended service if from the other two networks if their plans include it. At the northern tip of the bay is Fundy National Park where signal is hard to come by on any network.
Nova Scotia's coastline is well covered by Bell and Telus. Rogers network customers will get signal around the southern coast of Nova Scotia, but east of Halifax coverage drops and doesn't pick up until you get to Cape Breton Island where it remains spotty. The Island has good service by Bell and Telus except at the northern end near Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
Prince Edward Island features nearly complete Advanced 4G-LTE coverage by Bell and Telus both on the shoreline and inland. Rogers service has full LTE signal everywhere except a small dead-zone near the eastern tip of PEI.
Rogers signal in Newfoundland is almost exclusively available to St. John's and Corner Brook. On the other hand, Bell and Telus cover nearly every corner of the shoreline with signal. In Labrador you'll find signal in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and almost nowhere else.
Cell Phone Coverage on Pacific Coast
With about half the population of the province, the Vancouver region features excellent coverage by Bell, Rogers and Telus. Freedom Mobile has excellent service in town and has started expanding coverage to Vancouver Island. Even the ferry ride across will enjoy good signal from most networks. Signal can be found on the coastline throughout the strait by Bell, Rogers and Telus. Most of the Pacific-facing side of the Island has little to no service.
Taking Highway 99 north keeps you inside the coverage envelope for Bell, Rogers and Telus LTE service. Once you reach Whistler then Freedom Mobile customers will find signal too.
British Columbia is huge, so if we missed your favourite spot to vacation (Wine Country anyone?) then read our larger guide to wireless coverage in BC.
Small Carriers Use Major Networks Too
This guide talks a lot about Bell, Rogers and Telus but what about smaller carriers like Fido, Koodo, Virgin Mobile and more? Most of these cell phone companies use one of the three major national networks in order to provide their service.
The main three carriers in Canada sell network access for talk, text and data to smaller carriers. These smaller carriers are called MVNOs for short. MVNOs will buy network service from the top tier carriers and give customers a choice to save money on the same high-quality networks.
Some MVNOs like Fido, Koodo, Virgin Mobile, Public Mobile, Chatr and more are actually owned by Bell, Rogers or Telus. Others like PC Mobile, Petro-Canada or 7-Eleven SpeakOut are independent. WhistleOut gives you all the details when you search for a plan, including what carrier network you'll be running on so you know in advance what the coverage will be like.
For example, if you like Telus Mobility's coverage area but want a better deal than they offer, Koodo, Public Mobile, and PC Mobile are some of the smaller providers offering the exact same coverage.
Finding the Best Plan & Coverage
WhistleOut's coverage check feature complements an already robust comparison engine by helping you see what coverage is like wherever you live. Enter your address and we do the rest. This feature is the first of its kind and is an essential tool in Canada where prices and carrier services can change based on where you live.
In addition to a map of your area with the coverage from all major carriers, we filter through available cell phone plans and present only those from cell phone companies who provide the best reception for you.
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
Related Articles
Find Better Phones and Plans
Hundreds of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
