Crowds not showing up at Sikome Lake this summer
With new fees and constant wet weather, Sikome Lake’s visitor count has taken a significant hit this summer.
The longtime family favourite in Fish Creek Provincial Park typically sees about 200,000 visitors per year. About 4,400 people had bought day or season passes to the lake as of July 24, part of a new system of admission fees introduced this year. The new fees range from $2 to $10 for a day pass, and between $25 and $100 for a season pass.
The lack of crowds has made the beach a pleasant experience for those who do show up, and the fees have gone toward improving the facilities, said Alberta Environment and Parks spokesman Don Carruthers Den Hoed.
“People are coming and they’re having a good time,” he said.
“It’s a busy beach but not a crowded beach, which is nice.”
Feedback was mixed after the provincial government introduced the fees in June, with many upset they would have to pay for a facility that had long been free for the public. The weather also hasn’t been helpful this season, with the most rain Calgary has seen since 1927, falling in July alone.
The Sikome Aquatic Facility is fed by filtered well water and includes a playground, change rooms and tended lawn space. While open, it’s supervised by lifeguards trained especially for open-air spaces.
For many years, the south side of the park was closed due to the prohibitive costs of staffing. The facility had previously seen only minor upgrades since it opened in 1978.
Now, the entire beach has been opened. Profits are used to hire more staff, as well as upgrade some of the washrooms and add some fresh coats of paint, Carruthers Den Hoed said.
“The fees collected at Sikome go back to Sikome,” he said.
Jeff Person, who was enjoying the shade and cool water with his kids on Friday for his second visit to the lake, said the admission prices were a steal.
“I can’t believe it’s not busier,” he said.
“If it helps them keep up the lake and it’s that much nicer to come to, I’d rather pay to have something nice.”
However, Cara Hykawy, a guardian on a school trip to the lake with more than 40 kids, said she wasn’t so impressed.
“There are less people, but I don’t see any great improvements,” she said. “You don’t really see where the money is going.”
Still, Carruthers Den Hoed said, the new fees have allowed the provincial government to bring in new ideas. It’s been able to add a beach wheelchair for disabled users, make permits available for food trucks — although few have taken advantage of it — and is looking at extending hours next year.