本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Thousands of Canadians will be out of luck when it comes to camping at their favourite Ontario provincial parks on the first long weekend of the season.
Because the eight-week civil service strike only ended Monday, several popular provincial camping parks won't be ready for the Victoria Day weekend, the government said yesterday.
Those parks include Presqu'ile, Grundy Lake, Bon Echo and almost half the camping spots at Sandbanks on the island of Quinte, south of Belleville.
Some parks, such as Presqu'ile and Sandbanks, will be open for day use.
Presqu'ile, with 394 campsites, is a mecca for birders every spring and fall. The peninsula south of Brighton is a major flyway for migrating birds and home to Lake Ontario waterfowl and shorebirds.
Sandbanks' shallow-water beaches and dune-scapes attract families with children It has 549 campsites.
"Parks cannot be opened safely for visitors until all start-up activities are complete," a Ministry of Natural Resources statement said.
Those activities include: ensuring drinking water is safe, clearing campgrounds of debris and posting signs. Several parks along Lake Ontario were hit about a month ago by a severe storm that littered campgrounds with downed branches. Cleanup work is progressing but will not be complete by May 17.
A ministry official said about 3,200 people will be receiving telephone calls to let them know that they won't have access to certain parks despite having made reservations months ago.
"We will be offering them refunds or alternative facilities," the official said. The refund will include the $9 reservation fee. No cancellation or rebooking fees will be assessed.
Many popular destinations, such as Algonquin Park, are or will be open for the May 17 weekend, the ministry said.
The strike delayed the hiring of summer students and other seasonal help, making it harder to get the parks ready.
"There will be reduced levels of services at most parks," the ministry said. "The full range of park programs and services may not be available."
In many parks, visitors will either have to use their own water or boil available water ?though it will have been disinfected ?because safety testing will not have been completed.
Anyone planning to visit an Ontario provincial park can check ontarioparks.com on the Web, or call 1-888-668-7275, for the latest information or to make a reservation.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Because the eight-week civil service strike only ended Monday, several popular provincial camping parks won't be ready for the Victoria Day weekend, the government said yesterday.
Those parks include Presqu'ile, Grundy Lake, Bon Echo and almost half the camping spots at Sandbanks on the island of Quinte, south of Belleville.
Some parks, such as Presqu'ile and Sandbanks, will be open for day use.
Presqu'ile, with 394 campsites, is a mecca for birders every spring and fall. The peninsula south of Brighton is a major flyway for migrating birds and home to Lake Ontario waterfowl and shorebirds.
Sandbanks' shallow-water beaches and dune-scapes attract families with children It has 549 campsites.
"Parks cannot be opened safely for visitors until all start-up activities are complete," a Ministry of Natural Resources statement said.
Those activities include: ensuring drinking water is safe, clearing campgrounds of debris and posting signs. Several parks along Lake Ontario were hit about a month ago by a severe storm that littered campgrounds with downed branches. Cleanup work is progressing but will not be complete by May 17.
A ministry official said about 3,200 people will be receiving telephone calls to let them know that they won't have access to certain parks despite having made reservations months ago.
"We will be offering them refunds or alternative facilities," the official said. The refund will include the $9 reservation fee. No cancellation or rebooking fees will be assessed.
Many popular destinations, such as Algonquin Park, are or will be open for the May 17 weekend, the ministry said.
The strike delayed the hiring of summer students and other seasonal help, making it harder to get the parks ready.
"There will be reduced levels of services at most parks," the ministry said. "The full range of park programs and services may not be available."
In many parks, visitors will either have to use their own water or boil available water ?though it will have been disinfected ?because safety testing will not have been completed.
Anyone planning to visit an Ontario provincial park can check ontarioparks.com on the Web, or call 1-888-668-7275, for the latest information or to make a reservation.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net