The B.C. government is rolling out new rules for booking campsites in provincial parks, following a season that saw a number of campgrounds sold out in minutes.
BC Parks' Discover Camping Reservation Service will get an overhaul for the 2017 season – eliminating the mid-March “opening day” for reservations, and extending the rolling reservation window from three to four months.
That means reservations for the 2017 camping season can be made four months in advance of a site’s first reservable date.
In direct response to a controversy that frustrated campers this summer, the government is also cracking down on the reselling of campsite reservations.
Reports of some travel companies and scalpers snatching up prime lots and reselling them for a profit this summer caused some politicians to take notice, including Green Leader and MLA Andrew Weaver, who compared the system to scalping tickets at a concert.
“This is not like a Rihanna concert, because the difference between our parks and Rihanna is that the public doesn’t own Rihanna,” Weaver said in July.
In a statement, environment minister Mary Polak said the changes are meant to make the system as effective and efficient as possible.
“We know British Columbians want a reservation system that is fair, and that they have just as good a chance of securing a campsite as the next person,” said Polak.
"The changes we're bringing in for 2017 address policies that are prone to abuse by a small number of people and contribute to positive camping experiences in our beautiful B.C. parks."
The new system will also introduce restrictions around altering arrival dates, so people can no longer “unfairly” secure coveted spots on days they’re not actually camping.
A pilot project in select parks will also reduce maximum stay to seven days during the peak season, in order to encourage more turnover in parks.
The changes take effect Jan. 2, 2017.
