PROVINCE REMOVES OUT OF PROVINCE CAMPING FEE

Changes Reserve-a-Site Opening Date

The Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport has removed the out of province camping fee for the 2011 camping season. The additional fee was implemented for the first time in the 2010 season.

"We said when we implemented the fee that we wanted to give Saskatchewan taxpayers a break on their camping experience, because they support the provincial parks all year with their tax dollars," Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Bill Hutchinson said. "After listening to campers and the industry, we decided it is a greater benefit to the entire province to remove the fee and encourage more out of province visitors to spend money in Saskatchewan. Their dollars benefit local businesses and communities, as well as our provincial parks."

There is another significant change for the 2011 camping season. The parks service has changed the opening date for the provincial park campground Reserve-a-Site program from midnight January 1 to noon January 4, 2011.

This change will give program users the opportunity to enjoy bringing in the New Year without having to break away from their celebrations to make a camping reservation.

Campers are encouraged to use the on-line reservation request form which can be found at www.saskparks.net. This will ensure a more timely response and allow them to pay for their campsite at the time of reservation, via a secure, on-line payment portal. Reservation requests are also accepted by mail, by fax and by telephone at select locations.

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For more information, contact:

Jennifer Johnson
Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0619
Email: jennifer.johnson@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-529-5805