Dear Editor
A recent letter from an Alberta camper that has appeared in the letters to the editor in many Saskatchewan (Regional Optimist, Aug. 5) and some Alberta newspapers along with a petition is creating some concern that Saskatchewan Provincial Parks is changing its camping program to include 100 percent of its campsite inventory as reservable.
Saskatchewan Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport wants to assure campers this is not true.
The ministry is currently reviewing its camping program in preparation for a new campground reservation and registration system that we believe will make the camping experience better.
As we look to improve the overall camping experience, we are reviewing a number of our operating policies including, for example, the percentage of reservable sites and first come sites, the numbers of maximum stay campsites, waiting lists and campground rules for the park system. We plan to review our current program offerings, look at our customers' feedback and compare information on camping programs from other Canadian park jurisdictions to aid in our decisions.
The popularity of camping in Saskatchewan Provincial Parks has seen a dramatic increase in the last five or so years. In the past, a camping family could, on the spur of the moment, pack up and head to a favourite campground destination and be assured of a campsite. However, the availability is now significantly limited in most provincial parks during the peak six to eight weeks of summer, especially on weekends. It is a challenge to try to find a balance between these competing interests for our customers and their important summer vacations.
We know that people want to camp in a number of different ways - some want to camp for just a weekend or two, and some for extended periods of time. One thing most of those campers have in common though, is wanting to know in advance that they have a spot to pull into.
For those campers who cannot plan as far in advance, it is important to note the vacant reservable sites are still available for drive up traffic, and the new reservation service under development will allow visitors to reserve right up until the time they plan to arrive at most parks.
In response to the strong camping demand across the province, we are currently adding electrical service to 1,000 campsites and we opened a brand new campground last summer at Buffalo Pound Provincial Park. We are also currently doing consultations on two new proposed parks. Another initiative that is helping to ensure visitors have a better access to campsites has been the introduction of a 14-night maximum stay in some locations. In these sites we are servicing almost three times as many campers overall from similar campsites with no limits in place.
We are extremely pleased to know more and more people want to visit our parks. It is our sincere objective to try to find a program mix that meets the greatest percentage of our campers' needs in the best possible way.
More information on the provincial parks programs and services is available on our website at www.saskparks.net .
Lin Gallagher, Associate Deputy Minister
Saskatchewan Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
