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07-03-2016, 10:02 PM
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#121
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Maple Ridge, BC, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 17B;2012 Nissan Frontier SV 4
Posts: 702
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Another recent news article I read said the Canadian Camping Adventures has 2 staff who book/buy sites on behalf of their clients.
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07-03-2016, 10:07 PM
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#122
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Maple Ridge, BC, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 17B;2012 Nissan Frontier SV 4
Posts: 702
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So as a newly retired BC resident looking for a project perhaps I can assist any of my out of country Escape Forum members (US) with their BC camping reservations.
Or perhaps I'll turn into the cranky retired dude who sends endless emails/letters to the elected officials and government workers within the system trying to get something changed.
(But I think I am done posting about this on our Forum. Unless I discover some real interesting tidbit of info.
I suspect not much will change, given the amount of money overseas tourists bring into BC
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07-03-2016, 10:25 PM
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#123
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marry
Like selling your soul.....
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Marry happens a lot today . Pat
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07-03-2016, 10:45 PM
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#124
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryandLiz
Van der Kraats said his company is not the problem; he books sites online the same way as everyone else.
"I do realize the frustration, it's just, it's not us making this happen," he said.
"We are just like everybody else. We just make some bookings, and if we can't book them, we book them somewhere else."
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This is what is called disingenuous in polite circles, and stupid in more frank terms. Yes, it's the same website that we use, but the rest of us are not speculatively booking to keep those sites from people who will actually use them, and are not blatantly violating the BC Parks rules regarding transferring reservations. If they believe what they say then they are morons; if they understand how it is wrong then they are at the very least dishonest.
One more company that I would refuse to do business with.
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07-03-2016, 10:51 PM
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#125
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,547
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P
This makes perfect sense to me. The weekend rush out of Toronto got so bad that the exodus was starting early Thursday afternoon. That wasn't primarily a campground issue - it was people trying to avoid traffic.
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For more than two decades now similar things have been happening in Alberta. A lot of people who love to head to the Forestry Campgrounds for any long weekend, actually take the time to haul their trailer out a few days before, park it there and just pay for the extra days to hold their favourite spots. This is one thing that led to my brothers and I finding a spot where we can camp during long weekends with no hassles. Heck, we were drinking Scotch and playing guitar until 2am one night, which nary a single complaint. Heck, even the 'yotes joined in.
We do hit these Forestry, as well as some provincial CGs during the week, or on non-long weekends.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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07-04-2016, 04:59 PM
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#126
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Comox, British Columbia
Trailer: 5.0 TA #9
Posts: 226
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Demand Exceeds Supply
The BC Provincial Parks front country camping, hasn't expanded any park (that I know of), in 20+ years. At the same time, the population has grown, and the large surge of baby-boomers is retiring. Additionally the the number of tourists never seems to decrease.
I'd like to see an increase in the number of quality front country camping spots.
We use to camp at Forest Service Sites but too often people move into them on the May long weekend and stay until Thanksgiving because they are more entitled than me.
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As for the statistics, if a private BC company is booking sites in BC Parks for foreign tourists, is the booking measured as BC residents or from elsewhere...?
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07-07-2016, 03:55 PM
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#127
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Trailer: 2012 Escape 17B, 2011 Ranger FX4
Posts: 184
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Today's cartoon from our local community newspaper:
__________________
Lotar & Wendy
"Sit loosely in the saddle of life" (Robert Louis Stevenson)
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07-07-2016, 05:27 PM
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#128
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fremont, California
Trailer: 2016 21/ '16 Tundra 4.6L Dbl. Cab
Posts: 1,562
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maurerl
Today's cartoon from our local community newspaper:
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I just did that for a three day weekend on my Mom's driveway.......complete with awning, camp chairs, BBQ, and beer.....created a lot of neighbor envy!!
__________________
Steve and Debbie
2016 - 21'
“Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down” -Indigo Girls
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07-07-2016, 06:50 PM
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#129
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maurerl
Today's cartoon from our local community newspaper:
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When the scarcity of campsites becomes the subject of newspaper cartoons, it's time to change the system. Just an opinion.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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07-07-2016, 07:31 PM
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#130
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
When the scarcity of campsites becomes the subject of newspaper cartoons, it's time to change the system. Just an opinion.
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Sure, but if the province announces a plan to develop more area in parks to create campsites, and spend tens of millions of dollars on it, I expect there will be a big backlash. There is no easy answer, and no clear balancing point between the extremes of having campsites always in use but most people unable to get sites when they want them, and paying a fortune to have so many campsites that they are always available when wanted but most are empty most of the time.
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07-07-2016, 07:47 PM
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#131
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Also have to factor in the tree-huggers, according to TV news the other day. They don't want trees cut to create campsites.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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07-07-2016, 08:32 PM
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#132
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
Also have to factor in the tree-huggers, according to TV news the other day. They don't want trees cut to create campsites.
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I love trees Glenn. Their wood built my house.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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07-07-2016, 09:07 PM
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#133
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: kenton, Ohio
Trailer: 2016 21 ft. with 2013 F150 Tug
Posts: 55
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We just set our orientation and pickup for September 1st and after reading this thread I'm guessing I might have screwed up. It sounds like it's going to be mighty difficult to find a camping spot for a day or two without reservations on Labor Day weekend. We wanted to spend a day or two close to ETI. Might have to rethink our plans.
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07-07-2016, 09:15 PM
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#134
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,213
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Might see if you can put it off a week, however when we picked up 9/17 we found that fairly soon afterwards a lot of campgrounds were closing up loops or closing altogether during our 3 week trip home, even with good weather still.
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
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07-07-2016, 09:54 PM
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#135
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grump
We just set our orientation and pickup for September 1st and after reading this thread I'm guessing I might have screwed up. It sounds like it's going to be mighty difficult to find a camping spot for a day or two without reservations on Labor Day weekend.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rossue
Might see if you can put it off a week, however when we picked up 9/17 we found that fairly soon afterwards a lot of campgrounds were closing up loops or closing altogether during our 3 week trip home, even with good weather still.
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Yes, the Labour Day weekend is the unofficial "last weekend of summer" in most of Canada. With kids back in school immediately after it and weather cooling off quickly in most areas, camping is done for most people and campgrounds start closing. On the other hand, I'm currently planning a trip and finding that in the one location (in Ontario) where I want to reserve, the campgrounds are open until the end of October.
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07-08-2016, 04:47 AM
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#136
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
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Didn't think of Labor Day when we were traveling to Yellowstone, got stuck at Walmart. The couple sites that we did find were worse then WM, packed in like sardines. Think I'd do like Ross mentions and see if you can hold off pickup till Tuesday. Camping is great, AFTER the holiday.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
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07-08-2016, 09:29 AM
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#137
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2015 Escape 21
Posts: 699
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Good advice. Living in the area, we would either have to book s reserved site 3 months in advance or else go up 2 days (or more) early to hopefully get a non-reservable campsite (and pay for days you aren't there). But going early isn't an option for you. The weekend after the holiday weekend should work for you.
Bob K
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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07-09-2016, 10:42 AM
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#138
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Maple Ridge, BC, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 17B;2012 Nissan Frontier SV 4
Posts: 702
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A bit of an update
From a July 8 Maple Ridge news article
Campsites expanding - Maple Ridge News
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"BC Parks will make changes to its online reservation system. Polak wants it to suggest other parks when campers find the sites they want are full, to create more awareness of other parks.
She said Parks will also close loopholes people have found in the online reservation system that allow them to book weeks ahead.
Popular sites may also see reservations reduced from a maximum of two weeks to just one week – as has already been done in some parks.
“I’m more concerned with the perception that people have that campsites are being taken over by overseas visitors,” she said.
Polak said the parks system is still 75 per cent B.C. users and 15 per cent Albertans.
Tour operators can book sites on behalf of clients, but are not allowed to book sites “on spec” she added. Those bookings will be cancelled by BC Parks, and the operator could be barred, she said.
So far BC Parks has seen 11 reports of campground scalping. In some cases people were advertising on public sale websites, and agreed to take the ads down."
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07-09-2016, 10:59 AM
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#139
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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That is good news. Looks like they are aware of the problems, and are at least attempting to address them.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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07-09-2016, 01:18 PM
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#140
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: kenton, Ohio
Trailer: 2016 21 ft. with 2013 F150 Tug
Posts: 55
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Talked to Tammy yesterday and rescheduled our pickup and orientation for the 12th of September. After calling around it didn't take long to figure out that it was going to be very difficult to find a place to camp for a couple of days.
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