Park-pass miscue fuels privatization fears

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/06/2021 (1194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The surge in outdoor activities such as camping and hiking during the COVID-19 pandemic has made Manitoba’s provincial parks a popular refuge for those who have grown weary of lockdowns at home. 

Those who believe Manitoba’s 92 provincial parks are fully accessible to those who purchase passes to visit them have had their faith shaken by recent events.

The Free Press reported June 7 that visitors with valid provincial park passes were turned away from St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park unless they paid a further $10 fee to a private business that now operates the park. The province later clarified that park passes will be honoured at St. Ambroise.

Sterling Ducharme, who owns a store in nearby St. Ambroise, has signed a 21-year agreement to operate the park and look after its 46 hectares of Crown land on the shore of Lake Manitoba. He called the temporary refusal of provincial passes a misunderstanding.

Sarah Guillemard, the province’s conservation and climate minister, said those with park passes will continue to have access to the beach, but added that the province will proceed with its plan to build partnerships to improve the provincial parks.

During question period on June 9, Premier Brian Pallister denied there is a lease at St. Ambroise Beach, instead saying a contract has been signed with a private business to open a campground at the park, and it could charge a fee to people who want to use it.

Mr. Pallister blamed the former NDP government for letting the park decay after the 2011 flood that damaged much of the Lake Manitoba shoreline, yet failed to mention his government has had five years to make improvements since taking power in 2016.

On June 9, another Free Press report revealed the province has contracted out provincial park work to another private group, Turtle Mountain Adventure Huts Ltd., to build three non-serviced cabins at Adam Lake, which lies within Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says that agreement contravenes the province’s rules governing parks.

These agreements add to a growing list of partnerships the provincial government has pursued with private businesses for operation of provincial parks. Last October, the province issued a request for proposals for a consultant to rank the province’s top 15 parks from a business-feasibility perspective, including the possibility of decommissioning some parks and having third parties own or operate them.

In April, the province instituted an online registration system to sell annual park passes, and raised the price to $44.50 from $40. Raising prices can also restrict access, but hikes can be justified if extra funds are used for park maintenance and improvement of services. There will be no new boat launches or campsites built because of this price increase, however. The Free Press reported the extra $4.50 per pass is a licensing fee that goes to a company in Texas that operates the website.

A case can be made that private businesses can operate and maintain provincial parks under proper regulations and regular government inspections, while saving the province money and providing a better experience for visitors. That case has yet to be made by the government. And until it is, situations such as the one at St. Ambroise Beach will continue to stoke fears that private companies are being handed control of parks that rightly belong to all Manitobans.

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