Parks Open
May 15, 2008
ONTARIO'S PROVINCIAL PARKS ARE GETTING READY TO OPEN FOR THE VICTORIA DAY LONG WEEKEND. ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN THIS REGION IS SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK, NEAR PICTON. NEWSWATCH'S CHRIS HARVEY TOOK THE SHORT DRIVE TO SEE IF EVERYTHING IS READY FOR THE INFLUX OF LONG WEEKEND CAMPERS. IT'S ALMOST LIKE DISCOVERING YOUR OWN PRIVATE BEACH IN PARADISE. BUT THIS DESERTED STRIP OF SAND WON'T BE EMPTY FOR LONG. WEATHER PERMITTING, THE VICTORIA DAY LONG WEEKEND WILL ENTICE HUNDREDS OF CAMPERS TO SAMPLE NATURE AT ITS FINEST. LARRY NORMAN: "WE LOVE SANDBANKS. WE'VE COME HERE EVERY YEAR FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS, AND YOU JUST CAN'T BEAT THE VIEW, THE BEACH. IT'S JUST GORGEOUS HERE THIS TIME OF YEAR." SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK HAS 549 CAMPSITES. MOST HAVE ACCESS TO THINGS THAT TAKE THE "ROUGHING IT" OUT OF CAMPING....HYDRO, FLUSH TOILETS, TAP WATER, AND SHOWERS. DON BUCHOLTZ: "THERE IS ONE CAMP GROUND FACILITY WITHOUT SHOWER FACILITIES AS WELL. SO, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TRAILS THROUGH THE PARK AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THREE FANTASTIC BEACHES FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND ENJOY." SANDBANKS BEACH FRONTS ON LAKE ONTARIO, SO THE WATER MAY BE A BIT COOL FOR SWIMMING THIS WEEKEND. DON BUCHOLTZ: "THE DUNES BEACH IS PROBABLY THE MOST POPULAR AT THIS TIME OF YEAR BECAUSE IT'S SITUATED ON WEST LAKE AND IT TENDS TO WARM UP A LITTLE BIT SOONER IN THE YEAR." THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ENJOY SANDBANKS IS ASTOUNDING. THERE WERE 570 THOUSAND VISITORS LAST YEAR. DON BUCHOLTZ: "OF THAT IT'S ABOUT 325 THOUSAND DAY USERS AND ABOUT 240 THOUSAND CAMPERS. SO YEAH, WE'RE VERY POPULAR, AND IT'S CERTAINLY WISE TO MAKE A RESERVATION." KEEP THIS IN MIND. THERE IS AN ALCOHOL BAN IN PLACE FOR SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK, AND MANY OTHER ONTARIO PARKS THIS LONG WEEKEND. DON BUCHOLTZ: "IF THERE HAS BEEN A HISTORY OF ROWDY BEHAVIOUR, IT'S BEEN FELT TO BE A GOOD TOOL TO DEAL WITH THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOUR." CAMP FIRES ARE ALLOWED IN A DESIGNATED FIRE PIT ON EACH CAMPGROUND. THERE IS ALSO A PARK STORE FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE LEFT SOMETHING AT HOME, OR NEED A SNACK TO TIDE THEM OVER TO DINNER TIME. DAY PASSES FOR THIS WEEKEND AND IN JULY AND AUGUST ARE ABOUT 14 DOLLARS. CAMPSITE FEES ARE IN THE 30 DOLLAR RANGE DEPENDING ON AMENITIES. IT MIGHT BE WISE TO MAKE A RESERVATION AHEAD OF TIME. CHRIS HARVEY: "JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IF YOU'RE A FIRST TIME CAMPER. BRING SOMETHING WARM TO WEAR AND TO SLEEP IN AND BRING SOME BUG REPELLENT. CHRIS HARVEY, CKWS NEWSWATCH, PICTON.
