Sarah Mills: The magic of a good, old-fashioned letter
Could letters of old be the way to save Canada Post? In today's Mills Minute, Sarah Mills says there is something rather...
Pitching a tent and spending time in nature is one way you can spend your Labour Day long weekend in Saskatchewan.
While a lot of people might be packing up their camping gear, there is still room to book a last-minute spot for the weekend, according to Sask Parks.
Read more:
- $1 million earmarked for new regional park campsites in Saskatchewan
- Sask. provincial parks campsite bookings start on Monday
- Camp Easter Seal: The Saskatchewan summer camp that embraces disability
Paul Johnson with Sask Parks said on the Greg Morgan Morning Show that while people think provincial park campsites are full for the upcoming weekend, they are not.
He said sites are about 70 per cent booked, but it varies from park to park, with some campgrounds over 90 per cent booked.
Listen to the full interview with Paul Johnson:
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
GREG MORGAN: Has the camping season in Saskatchewan been successful so far this year?
PAUL JOHNSON: Yeah, it’s been overall successful. We had the wildfires early on in the season that caused a lot of turmoil, and we had a fire go through one of our provincial parks at Narrow Hills and impact Lac La Ronge pretty significantly, and Candle Lake as well. But since then, it’s been great. The fire situations have calmed down significantly, with most of them under control, and our visitors are back in full force. So it’s been an overall good year so far, but we’re not done yet.
What sort of occupancy is available for the Labour Day long weekend?
JOHNSON: It’s our big push for the weekend, and people think we’re full, but we’re not. Overall, the occupancy for the coming weekend is about 70 per cent, so there are lots of places to go, but that varies park by park. Places like Rowan’s Ravine are 93 per cent booked for this coming weekend, but lots of other opportunities to camp in different parks. Cypress Hills is only 76 per cent, so we do have availability, which is the key message.
What’s it like closer to Regina, like at Buffalo Pound, even Fort Qu’Appelle?
JOHNSON: Buffalo Pound, we’re pushing 90 per cent, Echo Valley, we are pushing 86 per cent, so again, pretty full, but that still means we have quite a few sites available in both those locations. Pike Lake as well, we’re at about 91 percent, so there’s still lots of availability. I urge people to get on it as quickly as they can, because with the weather forecast that we’re looking at, I expect we may see that more full as well.
As hot as it’s going to be this weekend, a lot of the provincial fire bans have been lifted so far, too, right?
JOHNSON: Yeah, there’s no fire restrictions, and that’s the beautiful thing about fall camping, or late summer camping. We’re looking at this weekend — it cools off at night, and people love a campfire — so no fire restrictions in place right now. Get out there and enjoy a nice, warm fire in the evenings.
What do provincial parks have to offer in the coming months?
JOHNSON: We’re open until the end of September, full services in our campgrounds and parks until September 30. So there are lots of fall camping options available. I did take a peek at the long-range forecast, and it does look really good well into September; so still lots of camping in September and October.
We still offer camping in October, but the services start to shut down; that’s when we have to blow out water lines and do those sorts of things. But there are limited services available in October. Of course, for the hardy, there are winter camping options that will be available, but it’s too soon to start talking about winter.
Where can people go to book a campsite in time for the weekend?
JOHNSON: It’s pretty easy. At saskparks.com and you can find all sorts of information about things that are happening this coming long weekend. There are lots of events and activities throughout the park system.
Read more:
