A new fully serviced 90-site campground will open in Manning Park in July, just in time for what is expected to be a summer of overflow camping.
They are among the 185 new campsites being added to BC provincial park campgrounds this year. Judging by campground use last year, every last one of them are likely to be used.
The BC government today announced $83 million funding for parks over the next three years.
“This budget increase builds on some recent funding ($5 million) that we introduced as part of our recovery program,” said George Heyman, minister of Environment and Climate Change.
The pandemic and restrictions on travelling outside of BC last year resulted in a spike in visits to provincial parks and staycationers camping. It was a record-breaking year for provincial campgrounds, with more than 270,000 campground reservations made, according to the ministry.
The NDP government has increased its investment in BC Parks in recent years, adding 1,500 new campsites in BC provincial parks over the last four years.
The new funding announced Friday, to be spent over three budgets years, will go towards construction of new campgrounds, additional campsites in existing campgrounds and expanded trails and campground amenities.
Annita Mcphee, executive director for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, B.C., welcomed what she called an “historic” investment in B.C. parks.
“Over the past year we’ve seen how important parks are to people,” she said.
“I know how important tourism is to our community and to British Columbia, and parks help support tourism.”
