Communing with nature on the holiday weekend begins with urban exodus
They might move your tent if you’re hogging a campsite, but they won’t tow your truck — at least not yet.
You probably don’t want to chance it, though. The people who run the province’s recreation campsites are getting frustrated by campers who “reserve” prime spots for the long weekend by parking vehicles or erecting tents in them days in advance.
Campers do so because, unlike B.C. Parks’ campgrounds, 85 per cent of the recreation (also known as forestry) sites are free of charge and are available on a
first-come, first-served basis, so it doesn’t cost anything to stake out territory days in advance, even though that’s against the rules.
It has become such a problem up-Island — particularly this weekend — that the government is promising to crack down at a dozen sites around Campbell River and the Comox Valley.
The initial emphasis will be on persuasion, not towing, but authorities warn that property left unattended for 24 hours could be removed at the owner’s expense.
“Our approach may become more aggressive through the summer if we can’t get folks to comply,” says John Hawkings, B.C.’s director of recreation sites and trails. Leaving notes on tents and trailers hasn’t had much effect so far.
Ah, welcome to the May long weekend, when Vancouver Islanders traditionally seize the chance to get away from it all, only to discover that everyone they’re trying to get away from has come, too.
A quick search on B.C. Parks’ discovercamping.ca reservation site Wednesday showed that in all of Vancouver Island’s provincial parks, only one single campsite at Rathtrevor Beach and another lone patch at Miracle Beach were still available for those looking to reserve from Friday to Monday. Other, unreservable places might still be available, but you’ll take your chances.
At least the rules have been changed to stop people from scalping campground reservations like concert tickets, something that caused an uproar a couple of years ago.
Also, the province added 350 campsites across B.C. in 2017, and will add 400 more this year. They’ll need them, too: Reservations are up 13 per cent. We British Columbians love our wilderness, even when the lineup for the outhouse rivals that at Starbucks.
That’s one reason why the Thursday afternoon exodus from Victoria (because for some reason
the weekend seems to begin a day early now) resembles the panicked flight from Paris in 1940, only with more kayaks and tent trailers.
At least those funnelling onto the Malahat will catch a bit of a break: The Highways Ministry has re-established a second northbound lane on the Trans-Canada Highway through Malahat Village, to be open until Tuesday. Also, construction crews widening that stretch of highway will not be working from Friday morning until Tuesday night.
The ministry says the second northbound lane will be open Friday afternoons through Sunday evenings on non-holiday weekends throughout the summer. Long weekends will see two northbound lanes and one southbound lane from Friday afternoons through Monday evenings.
Still, expect congestion and beware of impatient drivers. ICBC, citing the injury of 52 people in 290 crashes throughout Vancouver Island over the Victoria
Day weekend in 2016, says police will launch a month-long safety blitz.
B.C. Ferries is adjusting for the increased long weekend traffic, adding 115 sailings on its most popular routes today through Tuesday. This afternoon and Friday afternoon are expected to be busy, along with Saturday morning and Monday.
There will be 73 extra sailings on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay run (including some 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. crossings and a 10:50 p.m. from Swartz Bay on Monday) and 18 extra between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay.
As has been the case for the past few years, the 2.5-kilometre gravel road from Highway 14 to the Sombrio Beach trailhead in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park will be closed to cars from Friday morning to Monday afternoon in an attempt to put the brakes on partying.
Apparently not all Islanders have the same definition of communing with nature.