Campers will have more places to pitch their tents in the Sea to Sky Corridor this summer.
MLA Jordan Sturdy made the announcement Thursday morning at the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park while flanked by BC Park rangers.
“The province has made a commitment to expanding camping opportunities in British Columbia generally, and made some significant investments,” said Sturdy.
Stawamus Chief Park will eventually get about 30 more campsites, a 40-spot parking lot and a new picnic shelter, according to Ron Goldstone of BC Parks.
The existing campsites at the Chief were put in place in about 1992, according to Goldstone.
This year, work will begin on the parking lot at the south end of the park under the Hydro lines and a water system for the new camping sites, which should be available to campers by the 2018 summer season, Goldstone said.
Year over year there has been an approximately 50 per cent increase in visitors to the Stawamus Chief, Sturdy said. There were 350,000 day-use visits to the Chief last year and over 100,000 vehicle visits, he said.
The province will spend $22.9 million over five years expanding camping in the province, according to the Ministry of Environment.
This isn’t new money, but part the BC Parks Future Strategy announced by Premier Christy Clark in November.
Of the 1,900 spots planned for B.C., approximately 32 will be in Chek Canyon this summer and 20 backcountry sites have recently been created in Garibaldi Provincial Park.
About $500,000 over the next three years will be invested in expanding camping in the Squamish Valley, according to Ministry of Environment staff.
Sturdy said consultations with the Squamish Nation have to take place prior to the expansion in the Valley.
“Making sure that we aren’t infringing on archeological sites and that kind of thing,” he said.
BC Parks is also in the process of hiring 28 new full-time park rangers who will be spread throughout the province, Goldstone said. Five rangers will be divided between the Fraser Valley, North Vancouver, Squamish, Powell River and the northern Sunshine Coast, he added.
Green Party candidate for the Sea to Sky Dana Taylor said expanding camping is something the Greens have been calling for. While he welcomed the expansion he questioned the timing of the announcement.
“I am pleased to see that they are making additions, but the timing of it is certainly suspect… they could have done it at anytime, but they chose [during] an election to do it,” he said.
The provincial election is scheduled for May 9.
For more on the planned camping expansion go to www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks.
