Responding to government inaction on campsite booking system
Media Statement: July 5th, 2016
Weaver responds to government inaction on campsite booking system
For immediate release
Victoria B.C. – Andrew Weaver, Leader of the B.C. Green Party and MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head, today responded to the provincial government’s encouragement of a campground booking system that excludes British Columbians from accessing public campgrounds and allows private for-profit companies to compete with B.C. families.
“In a new practice welcomed by the B.C. Liberals, B.C. residents are being told they have to pay more to compete with companies who book provincial campsites in bulk and resell them at double the price,” says Andrew Weaver.
“It seems like the B.C. government has lost sight of the public purpose of our parks and campgrounds. Our provincial campsites are not products to be sold, they belong to the people of B.C.
Government agencies have been entrusted by the public to manage our parks as a collective good so they can be preserved and maintained into the future. Instead they are managing them as if they were a nothing more than a commodity.
The public is the owner, not the customer, and the current system is excluding B.C. families from accessing their parks.
The reservation system should give British Columbians priority, either by allocating enough resident – specific sites to meet local demand or by staggering booking openings so British Columbians have first shot at reserving a spot.”
Media contact:
Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver MLA
Cell: 250 216 3382
Mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
Twitter: @MatVic
Parliament Buildings
Room 027C
Victoria BC V8V 1X4
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5 Comments
It is becoming more and more difficult to book a campsite so that my family and I can have one week together out of the city. We MUST be on our computers at seven in the morning to try to get a site for three months in advance. We book three sites for all of us and our children and grandchildren. In the past we have all been able to book within a walking distance. This year I will be camping in the overflow campsite, ie no privacy, and they were not sure if I would have a picnic table..Also a walk in so we can haul all our stuff in. It is almost the same price as booking into a motel. On a fixed income, how much longer will our families be able to afford this luxury, and why are so many non Canadains taking over our spots?
I’ve complained about this in the past. It is totally a money grab for the companies involved and the BC government. Our tax dollars go into parks. We live here amongst those parks. Our children deserve to go camping in these parks. With what limited parks we have ( thanks to the current government) and the practice of making most sites fall under the reservation system, it is next to impossible to take the kids camping next weekend. Or any weekend this summer now as all the sites are booked. Letting companies “scalp” our campsites is not putting the families of BC first. I for one will voice my dissatisfaction towards this pre-booking policy vehemently come the next election. Give our parks back to our children!
They have been booking campsites even back when social credit was in power but not many people took advantage of it. But i don’t think that they were allowed to reserve more than half of the sites back then
I find the BC Liberal plan to allow the privatization of public parks and campgrounds absolutely abhorrent.
I do not know if a) the following is true or b) if true, what can be done to stop it. Apparently travel agents get on the computer first thing the reservation system opens up for the season and buy up every available open space. If this is true it is akin to certain ticket sale outlets who buy up tickets to popular events and sell them for a significantly increased price (lines the agent’s pocket) and cuts out the individual who simply wants to go to a concert — or in this case wants to go camping. There has got to be a way to stop this.