Provincial parks open Monday for camping
But things will be a little different
SASKATOON For some in Saskatchewan, Monday will be the start of another work week. For others, it will be the beginning of camping season.
Provincial parks open on June 1 for Saskatchewan residents.
Though limitations and new rules have been implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, summer getaways will be underway for thousands of families who quickly snapped up campsites when reservations opened earlier this month.
“While some restrictions remain in place for now, there is still plenty of opportunity to make this camping season a safe and memorable one,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said in a statement, acknowledging “that at first, things will look much different.”
A few things to know about the 2020 camping season at Saskatchewan provincial parks:
An automatic check-in process is being put in place. Visitors with an annual park entry permit and who reserved a campsite can proceed directly to the site.
All swimming pools, beaches, picnic areas and playgrounds, as well as showers and laundry facilities, will be closed until further notice. There also will be limited access to washrooms.
Campers are asked to bring their own hand sanitizer and disinfectant products, but park staff will be implementing enhanced cleaning and sanitization.
Park events and interpretive programs won’t immediately be taking place, but most parks will have pickup activity kits. According to the province, new activities will be available daily, with topics ranging from navigation and survival to campfire cooking and history.
Campers will be allowed to fish at the shore or swim in lakes if they practise physical distancing guidelines.
More than half of Canada’s national parks — including Prince Albert National Park in the northern half of Saskatchewan, as well as Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan — are set to partially reopen on June 1.
In an effort to limit travel between provinces, camping in provincial parks is restricted to Saskatchewan residents until further notice.
With the public health order prohibiting non-essential travel to the northern half of the province, Saskatchewan Parks recommended waiting to make reservations at Lac La Ronge and Narrow Hills.
Every other campsite will remain vacant to ensure campers follow physical distancing measures.