Manitoba Geocaching Association

ertyu · Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 547 Location: Winnipeg

An interesting note in the new provincial budget: For the next two years there will be free admission to provincial parks.

1Queenand4Jokers · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 268 Location: Manitoba

Awesome isn't it. In the midst of flood stupidity this got a round of applause. We should promote this heavily on the geocaching.com website. FREE caching in our parks. WOW. Now if only Riding Mountain would decrease too. I think we may just stay in province and cache this summer.

Kabuthunk · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 257 Location: Winnipeg

Hell yeah! I know where I'M spending a fair number of weekends now Very Happy

glacier_ice · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 681

WOOO! I was already planning on regular visits to the Whiteshell. Great news!

Shinook and White Juan · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 32 Location: Thompson

Wow, just what we needed to hear. Vacation coming soon and we want to cache through Whiteshell and West Hawk this year.

ertyu · Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 547 Location: Winnipeg

I hope the $2x yearly fee wasn't keeping you from visiting the parks. It's a very minimal price to pay to try and keep the parks in good shape. I was happy and eager to get my park pass as soon as possible each year since I've started geocaching and visiting many parks regularly.

glacier_ice · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 681

Nah, didn't stop me. I've been purchasing seasonal passes since starting to geocache, but $28 saved is always nice. Smile

ohmic · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 456 Location: Winnipeg

This is worrying me.
Where will the province get the money to pay for park maintenance, park employees, and services offered throughout the parks?
The annual park pass fees were minimal compared to our neighbours (Ontario $128, Saskatchewan $50).
I too, was looking forward every spring to buy my new Manitoba park pass.
I wonder where the government will have to cut to pay for this "free gift" Think

MHz · Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 268 Location: Morris

Yes I'm wondering the same thing as this is complete reversal of what they were telling us (as cottage owners) last year. As a cottage owner in the whiteshell, we always got one complimentary pass that was more or less paid for in our lease/local taxes. Last year, the parks revoked this privilege and increased the park pass fees stating all cottage owners need to buy a park pass as they were need of the extra revenue for park maintenance.

Now this year every one gets a free pass. Shocked

I really don't understand the parks. Since I always had to buy a pass as the free one went to my parents, I'm glad I don't have to pay this year as I still have to pay my portion of the lease/local taxes anyway, but the passes were the biggest revenue the parks had. Is this the downfall of MB Parks? Crying or Very sad

ertyu · Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 547 Location: Winnipeg

I'm assuming the parks will have the identical budget as last year. The lost fee revenue will be made up in other ways by the government.

1purplemonkeydishwasher1 · Joined: 15 Mar 2009 Posts: 40 Location: Winnipeg

The government has better ways to use the money really. I didn't really mind paying for the park pass, but i will definitely take advantage of this Smile

Shinook and White Juan · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 32 Location: Thompson

Kabuthunk · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 257 Location: Winnipeg

I can live with paying the fee, that wouldn't hold me back. However, I will be inclined to visit the parks MORE this year.

And in my opinion, this may be the government's whole idea. Suck up one or several years with free park passes. Spread the word (I'm honestly a bit surprised this isn't being advertised and detailed through every possible channel... but maybe I'm just not seeing it since I don't subscribe to TV). It's free (that being a magical word in today's society), so a lot more families that normally don't go camping will be like "hey, let's head out for the weekend, or for the day (if just to Bird's Hill or something)". It isn't costing us anything (besides gas, but let's hope people don't think of that), so why not?

So for this year or so, we see an increase in people going to the parks. They may *gasp* discover that the outdoors is enjoyable, and like going. Now that a pile more people that would have otherwise never gone are 'hooked' on the nice quiet, serene area, they re-introduce the entrance fee. Not big enough to scare the newbies off... just say... $5 or something (that's my predicition, anyway). Most of the 'hooked' people will pay that and continue going. After a while, the status quo for entrance fees is reached, but they have a larger number of visitors, thus creating more revenue, and perhaps paying off the loss of income the past few years.

So long story short, it's good that the government is finally thinking 'longer-term' about something, instead of just 'this-year-only'... if my hypothesis IS truly what they are thinking.

One way or the other, there will be more visitors overall, so in the long run it will pay off regardless of the actual motives.

ertyu · Joined: 25 Apr 2005 Posts: 547 Location: Winnipeg

Here's the official notice posted on MB Parks:

Free Park Entry for 2009 and 2010
Manitoba Conservation has announced that there will be free park entry into provincial parks until April 30, 2011. In tough economic times, families may look for recreation closer to home, so we would like to encourage all Manitobans and visitors to Manitoba to enjoy and explore our provincial parks.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/specials/important_news.html

brucered · Joined: 11 May 2009 Posts: 9

i was just coming in to post this.

glad i searched first.

these parks should ALWAYS be free. i hate paying admission to go fishing, hiking, camping etc.

can you say CASH GRAB.

at least they are free for the next 2yrs, then they'll probably double the price to make up for the past.