Some things just need to be said...

Friday, May 13, 2005

pay-to-park-in-our-parks

It has to be just about the dumbest thing you could do. Charge families to park in Provincial parks. They are our parks. The need to pay has led to many fewer people attending parks. It was a good way here in Kelowna for a family to go to Okanagan Lake at Bear Creek. Now we have to pay to go to a public beach. Nicki Hokazono has this to say in Kelowna Mission.

Gordon Campbell's pay-to-park-in-our-parks plan is a fiasco. New Democrats will end it,” Hokazono says. "We will remove parking meters from BC parks and encourage families to enjoy BC’s natural beauty – for a change."

BC government documents obtained by two environmental groups by freedom of information show 20 per cent fewer people visited 14 popular provincial parks in
southwest BC since the Campbell Liberals installed parking meters in 2003. That's 1 million fewer visitors.

The documents also show the Campbell Liberals grossly overestimated parking revenues. They predicted $4 to $6 million in revenues. In 2003, they only made $800'000.

Hokazono says it's time for a change.

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