More camping sites announced in BC

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Planning camping trips around BC could be easier with the provincial government announcing more options.

“Campsite expansion is occurring in all regions of the province, but we are targeting areas where demand is the greatest,” explains MLA Mary Polak.

She adds the regions that will see more spaces will be the Okanagan, the Kootenays, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Polak explains that means there will be hundreds of new sites where you can pop your tent and this is just phase one of Victoria’s campsite expansion.

“The province is investing up to $22.9 million to add these new campsites over five years. More than 800 of the new sites will be in provincial parks, while more than 1,000 will be at recreation sites.”

This first phase will see 1,900 new sites are expected over the next few years. That was originally announced last November by the BC Liberals as part of the BC Parks future strategy.

“[The] province also recently announced a new investment of $35 million over the next three years, also as part of the strategy. That funding will result in 28 more full-time rangers, new programs to promote and protect the environment.”

Polak says $10 million will also go as an initial endowment to the new BC Parks foundation.

The government says provincial parks see more than 21 million visitors each year and there is free parking available at all of them.

The new campsites available for the 2017 camping season

• Blanket Creek Provincial Park near Revelstoke – 58 sites
• Halfway Hot Springs Rec Site near Nakusp – 20 sites
• Six Mile Bay Rec Site near Mackenzie – 20 sites
• Okanagan Lake South Provincial Park near Summerland – eight sites
• Badger Lake Rec Site near Heffley – 30 sites
• Scuitto Rec Site near Kamloops – 17 sites
• Garibaldi Provincial Park near Squamish – 20 sites
• Chek Canyon Rec Site near Squamish – 32 sites
• Stave West -Sayres Lake Rec Site near Mission – 60 sites
• Desolation Sound Provincial Park near Powell River – 34 sites
• Rathtrevor Provincial Park near Parksville – 30 sites
• Goldstream Provincial Park near Victoria – four sites
• Pye Mountain Rec Site near Sayward – 20 sites
• Maple Grove Rec Site near Lake Cowichan – 22 sites