LAKELAND - With measures still in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, people have been encouraged to stick closer to home for holidays. And the trend looks like it will translate into more people getting out into the great outdoors to camp.
The County of St. Paul's online camping reservation booking website opened to the public on March 1.
"To date we have over 900 reservations at our four Municipal Parks, Floatingstone, Westcove, Lac Bellevue and Stoney," confirms Tim Mahdiuk, interim CAO with the County of St. Paul. Mahdiuk encourages people to book sites early if they are hoping to spend some time at the municipal campgrounds this summer.
"Sites are filling up and it’s going to be a busy season."
When asked how numbers compared to previous years, Mahdiuk says it's hard to compare since the municipality didn't open up its campgrounds until late June, due to the pandemic. In 2019, the county did not open online reservations until May 1 because it was the first year it used the online booking website.
"The numbers are definitely higher this year, but the previously two years we had different opening circumstances," said Mahdiuk.
The County of St. Paul has continues to put work and resources into its campgrounds. The municipality completed work in 2020 at a new boat launch at the Stoney Lake campground, which is located southeast of St. Paul, just off Sec. Hwy. 646.
This spring, a new playground structure will be installed on the beach at Lac Bellevue, which is located south of St. Paul off Sec. Hwy. 881.
"We are in the process of developing a new loop at Floatingstone that will see an additional eight to 12 campsites," says Mahdiuk.
Cold Lake campground expansion
The MD of Bonnyville is continuing a project that it has been working on, furthering the phased expansion of the Cold Lake MD campground. Work will continue through the 2021 camping season.
The park is closed to all outside visitors, with the exception of construction workers, according to information released in mid-March. The campground is scheduled to open on May 14 for the camping season.
"While we will be doing everything we can to minimize the impact of construction on their stay at the park, visitors should expect there to be noise and dust during the day at the campground this season," said Rodney Guilbault, parks manager with the MD of Bonnyville. "There will be heavy equipment working. The construction site will be cordoned off for visitor safety."
The overflow area will also be closed this summer at the Cold Lake campground. The ongoing work may also affect the availability of some of the other camping sites.
Phase 1 of the project includes the installation of waterlines and other services for the expanded park, which will see 74 sites added.
Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin this year, and will include electrical services being installed, a road loop system being created, and building up the new sites.
Phase 3 of the project will include paving the main access road and adding other finishing touches to the campground.
Provincial reservations
Demand for camping reservations has been high for provincial campgrounds, since bookings opened on March 4.
"We processed nearly 24,000 reservations on opening day, that’s more than double the number of reservations compared to opening day of last year. As of today, 57,614 reservations have been made, compared to 21,250 by March 26 in 2019," reads a statement from Alberta Environment and Parks, received on March 30.
There are still many sites available now, and for dates later this summer, according to the provincial government.
"For campers who don’t get the reservation they want, there are always cancellations that happen," reads the statement, which encourages people to check the Monday or Tuesday for the weekend they want to go camping. Mid-week camping also offers Albertans more opportunities to book a stall, and there are also 5,000 first-come first-served sites across the province.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were several measures initiated in 2020 and they remain in place for the 2021 season, "to support a smooth and safe opening to the season."
Most shower facilities will remain closed, and shared sites with shared amenities like picnic tables and fire pits will have one half of the site closed. Group camping remains closed, while Alberta Health Services’ gathering restrictions are in place due to COVID-19.
The provincial government encourages people to abide by public health measures and stay home when they are sick. Campers should also bring their own sanitizer when camping, and stay at least two metres away from anyone they don't live with.
The statement asks people to "Wash or sanitize hands before and after visiting shared amenities with high-touch surfaces such as bear bins, self check-in stations, boat launches, docks, water fill stations, and dumping stations."
Campers are also encouraged to use washrooms in their own recreational vehicles, to reduce traffic in shared-use, public facilities.
Along with asking Albertans to keep parks clean, pick up their trash, and ensure they park in designated areas, the province also asks campers to 'know before you go' and and check Albertaparks.ca for any updates and advisories.
Camping fees vary by site for provincial campgrounds, and more information specific to fees can be accessed online.
Sites at provincial campgrounds can be booked at reserve.albertaparks.ca or by calling 1-877-537-2757.
