Dear Editor
My favourite memories as a child are from camping in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. Now, as a parent, I wish to give my two daughters similar memories.
Unfortunately, I am like many, unable to plan ahead and reserve a provincial park camping spot in January. Therefore, we tend to just pack up when it is time for holidays and head out to Cypress. We have spent our fair share of time waiting in line for an electrical site. In past years we have very fortunate to get a site almost right away.
This year we were told there were changes and that a lot of the first-come-first-serve sites could now be reserved. We went out a day earlier (without our trailer) to try to get a site and were 16 times out on the list and very few sites were available. It was then that we were also informed that next year it was going to change to 100 per cent reserved sites. We did get a site the next day, but as we talked to other campers, we learned that not one wants the park to go to 100 reserve sites.
I noticed, with a lot of the reserved sites, the trailers sit empty during the week and only get used on the weekends. That is a site the people who go camping for two to three weeks at a time could be in. Think of the business owners at these parks. They will lose business and profits due to this kind of change. Think of the farmers who get only a few days here and a few days there without knowing when. They may as well sell their trailers and give up camping as they will never get a spot without a reservation.
With an equal spilt of reserved and open sites, more sites are available every day. Instead of one or two spots open there used to 10 to 15. Sure we have to go stand in line but at least we have a chance to get a decent spot without a reservation.
The government will attempt to convince you this is for the better, as they have tried with me in e-mails and in person, but I do not buy it. They are guaranteed their profits regardless and they do not need extra staff on every day to deal with line ups.
In an effort to stop the government from making this change to Saskatchewan provincial parks I have started a petition asking for them to keep the Saskatchewan parks 50 per cent reserved sites and 50 per cent first-come-first-served. I have left three petitions at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Parks and already have over 100 signatures. If anyone is interested in signing one you can go to the General Store, the Mini-golf or the Golf Course. If anyone is interested in circulating a petition in your area I can be contacted through e-mail at terralwiebe@hotmail.ca.
Let's keep out parks accessible for everyone.
Terra Weibe
Medicine Hat, Alta.
