Released on September 8, 2008
Campers flooding into campgrounds all summer searching for sites with plug-ins will get their wish. Our government is responding immediately by starting work on the electrification of 140 more campsites in Buffalo Pound Provincial Park and Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. This new initiative is part of our promise to add 1,000 electrified campsites within our first term in office.
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park will have 70 new campsites with electrical service in a new campground. Work will also start soon at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park where 10 new campsites with electrical service will be built. Electrical service will also be added to 60 existing campsites and another 42 campsites will have the existing electrical service upgraded. This will increase the park's overall capacity to handle visitors wanting electrical service and improve the safety of existing electrical reliability.
Many people visiting Saskatchewan use the TransCanada Highway so improving services along this corridor will ensure they enjoy their stay. The campsites in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park will be completed in 2009 while the campsites in Buffalo Pound Provincial Park will be in operation in late spring 2010.
"Our parks are home to some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world," Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell said. "Improving our parks enriches the Saskatchewan experience and helps meet visitor demands. It also clearly demonstrates our pride in our province and our commitment to maintaining a healthy, vibrant environment."
Electricity will be added to a total of 850 existing campsites and another 150 new campsites will be built with electrical service. Construction began earlier this season on 302 new and upgraded electrified campsites in the central and northern regions of the province including Makwa Lake Provincial Park, Pike Lake Provincial Park and the Emma Lake Recreation Site.
All of the improvements are part of the government's four-year, $20 million commitment to upgrading our provincial parks.
"We are committed to improving the overall camping experience," Tell said. "The changes made to our provincial parks system are part of our renewed vision for the role of parks in Saskatchewan. We believe that our parks system can help us grow a tourism industry that showcases our natural and cultural heritage."
Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport will continue to examine the facilities available in the province's provincial parks and will upgrade and/or replace them as needed.
30-
For more information, contact:
Janice Wilby
Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5781
Cell: 306-527-8152