National parks looking at record numbers

CALGARY Entry to Canada’s national parks is free this year to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Here is what Parks Canada prepared for, by the numbers: 23.2 million — Visitors in 2015 24.6 million — Visitors in 2016 27.3 million — Projected number of visitors in 2017-18 Nine per cent — Increase in visitors as of July 2017 compared to a year earlier

3.7 million — Park passes ordered since December 2016

$136.40 — Cost of a family park Pass in 2016 $67.70 — Cost of an individual park pass in 2016 $0 — Cost of a park pass in 2017 $4.85 million — Projected production and distribution costs of park passes in 2017

$70.08 million — Parks Canada funding for lost revenue and increased capacity in 2017

$1 million — Contingency fund to respond to unpredicted issues or surges in visitation

25,000 — Extra industrial toilet paper rolls the tourist hotspot of Lake Louise, in Banff National Park, is expected to need this year, an increase of 25 per cent

500 — Extra cords of firewood Lake Louise expected to need this year, an increase of 20 per cent 21 per cent — Temporary expansion of full-time and seasonal employees in Banff National Park

4.7 per cent — Increase in visitors to Banff National Park as of July compared to the same time last year

46 per cent — Increase in visitors to Elk Island National Park near Edmonton so far this year compared to 2016

58 per cent — Increase in visitors to Point Pelee National Park in southern Ontario so far this year compared to 2016

20 per cent — Increase in visitors to Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta so far this year compared to 2016