Prince Albert, Grasslands among 29 national parks set to reopen June 1
More than half of Canada’s national parks — including two in Saskatchewan, as well as popular destinations Banff and Jasper next door in Alberta — are set to partially reopen on June 1.
Minister of Environment Jonathan Wilkinson said 29 of the 48 national parks will open for day use, and visitors will have access to washrooms. Prince Albert National Park in the northern half of Saskatchewan, as well as Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan, are included among those reopening.
“It’s an opportunity for folks, particularly those who live reasonably close to national parks, to be able to get out in nature in a manner that can allow physical distancing,” he said.
All national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas have been closed for weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wilkinson said some parks, including many in Northern Canada, will remain closed to reduce travel to areas sensitive to the spread of COVID -19.
“There’s also some of the parks that are co-managed with First Nations, like Haida Gwaii, where the First Nation has asked that the park not be reopened,” Wilkinson said.
Banff is the country’s busiest national park, with about four million visitors annually.
P.A. National Park has averaged around 256,000 annual visitors over the past decade, while Grasslands has attracted an average of approximately 10,300 annual visitors.
Wilkinson said camping will still not be allowed in national parks until at least June 21.
“Camping is going to be something that a lot of Canadians are going to look at, given that travelling outside the country is going to be particularly challenging,” he said.
Parks Canada will have protocols in place once camping is allowed, but the agency doesn’t plan to put in restrictions by province, he added.
“We are a national agency that belongs to all people who live in this country,” he said. “We will be telling people that they need to be paying attention to the travel guidance of their respective province or territory.”
Camping, group activities, events and programs in both Prince Albert National Park and Grasslands will “continue to be suspended until further notice,” Parks Canada said on the parks’ websites. The current suspension “of visitor services and vehicle access at day use areas, campgrounds and trail head locations” at both parks, “as well as the temporary closure of visitor facilities,” will remain until June 1.
Camping reservations for Saskatchewan provincial parks launched earlier this month, with a start date of June 1.
In an effort to limit travel between provinces, camping in provincial parks is restricted to Saskatchewan residents until further notice.
There will be no shower or laundry facilities open and only limited access to washrooms at provincial parks.
All swimming pools, beaches, picnic areas and playgrounds will be closed.
Campers may fish at the shore or swim in lakes if they follow physical distancing guidelines. At provincial campgrounds, every other campsite will remain vacant.
— With Starphoenix files from Nykole King
The Canadian Press