By Daryl Major

Province makes campsite reservations easier

Nov 9, 2016 | 8:48 AM

NANAIMO – Changes are coming to the reservation system for provincial campgrounds.

The changes are part of an annual system review aimed at improving fair access to people wanting to book campsite spots. Over the past five years, demand for reservations through the Discover Camping website has grown 91 per cent.

Environment minister Mary Polak says the biggest change to the system is eliminating the one day scramble for available spots to a four month rolling system.

“We’re doing that in the hopes of reducing the chances that you have all of these sites booked up on that first opening day with a big backlog of people trying to get through,” said Polak.

There were complaints from some campers this year that groups were making bulk reservations, but according to Polak, that wasn’t really happening.

rainbow eyes

Nanaimo judge hands old growth logging protestor additional jail time

2h ago

Paris Bound

Nanaimo race walker Olivia Lundman qualifies for Paris Olympic Games

4h ago

CONCENTRATED HOUSING

Single-family builds down in Nanaimo while denser housing units increase

10h ago

“We already, in previous years, addressed the issue of bulk booking,” said Polak. “So although anecdotally people were telling stories of bulk booking last year, that was impossible to happen. The technology didn’t allow it to happen.”

The new reservation system also includes a pilot project at five high-use parks, including Loveland Bay near Campbell River, that cuts the maximum stay to seven days from 14.

Polak says there are about 10,700 vehicle-accessible campsites in BC, with campers making more than 185,000 reservations this year.

Since 2011, reservation activity at the two most popular mid-island campgrounds has risen significantly. It’s up 29.8 per cent at Rathtrevor Beach and 62.4 per cent at Englishmen River Falls.