It apparently, quietly, got insanely expensive to solo camp in Temagami and others…
Legit video on increase from $9/night to $30-$40/night for Ontario backcountry camping.
Of course, many of us can’t get in the country right now, but someday was a hope…
I don’t like it either but to keep things in context the insane hike in rates is now in Temagami and also Massassauga. Other provincial parks are unaffected. I expect that Algonquin is next.
To balance it out even though Ontario is in camping lockdown the reservation system is not and you would never be able to get a site anyway in most parks from what I read.
There is a change.org petition going around https://www.change.org/p/jeff-yurek-minister-of-the-environment-back-country-camping-fee-increases-in-ontario
In the video its sounds like it’s a two-year pilot program. That generally means either a thumbs-down or a wider rollout follows it.
Not that big of an increase for The Massasauga. I took a look back to 2017 when we were there (US citizens) and the cost was $41 per site per night. We had a group of nine that we spread over three sites for three nights.
We were going on a 10-day canoe trip up in Ontario last summer but the trip had to be cancelled. We hope to go this year (if things get back to normal and we can even get a reservation) so the price hike is disconcerting. The single rate fee structure to “simplify” the reservation system might be a legitimate rational if payments, reservations, and field checks were still done on a stone tablet but this is 2021. I’d love to see a transcript of the discussion among Ontario Parks upper level managers when this idea was proposed. What was the real reason for the change?
Seems like a more realistic and fair approach would be a set base fee for each site to cover base operational and administrative costs and then charge on a person fee. For example; $15 to $20 base fee and $5 per person additional fee.
Seniors and youth/PWD would still pay the base fee but seniors would pay half the per person fee and youth/PWD would not have to pay the per person fee.
only applies to the Mass and Temagami …for now. Just go elsewhere that does not require reservations like Wabakimi or Woodland Caribou ( just two examples)
Ontario parks are some of the nicest and well-kept.
I’m from Ontario but have been living in the states for 15 years. One of the great things about living here is that camping is much more reasonable. The whole idea of parks is that they’re supposed to be accessible, and key to that is affordability.
I had the good fortune to live in Boston for a decade and wether it was New Hampshire or Vermont, things were inexpensive compared to back home.
If well kept it is not due to any funding from the Govt
Its due to the various Friends groyps. Friend of Tenagami Friends of Wabakimi Friends of Lake Superior
More funding IS needed and the Govt should allocate to Parks maintenance instead of throwing it into a slush fund
Moreover the crews should be held accpuntable for completing the job
Sadly I was on a Friends group that met up with the Govt sanctioned crew in a park
They had been imbibing ; not a safe efficient practice especially with chain saws involved.
Many outdoor facilities and agencies are chronically under funded. Be prepared to spend the money to support them. Traveling to get there, supplies and equipment cost much more than user fees. Just pay it.
In the US, guns and ammunition have Federal taxes associated with their sale under the Pittman/Robertson Act. They pay their way. There has been a debate for decades about whether hiking boots, binoculars, packs and other equipment should also be taxed to help fund outdoor land management agencies.
Just pay it? Do you have any idea what this discussion is about? $43 for a campsite? Prices solo paddlers right out of tripping. Ontario Parks is trying to equivocate front and back country camping fees. Their rationale is that the average camp party is four and there is no per person rate increase. Rubbish… And the rubbish and the expense to fly it out will lead to more price increases.
How many Ontario backcountry trips have you taken?
I can count a full YEAR. Can you?
Even considering the CA-US exchange rate those are crazy fees. I pay less than that for a full service plumbing and electrical hookup on my camper van.
Ontario does not want anyone from the great southern leper colony to come now anyway. So just mail them a check.
New Brunswick seems to want Maine in its bubble. Its all about the vaccination rate to see if that will happen July 1
Ontario has been slow in vaccination