Beat the crowd

Reservation system hopes to cut down on congestion

Changes to Ontario’s provincial park day-pass system and fees hope to provide more access to Ontario’s 17 busiest parks—including Sandbanks and North Beach—as well as shorter lineups and less congestion and frustration. Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, was at Sandbanks Provincial Park last Thursday, along with MPP Todd Smith and Mayor Steve Ferguson to officially announce the changes. This year, day-use permits at 115 provincial parks will be free Mondays through Thursdays until September 2. Paid entry is still required on Fridays and weekends. Visitors are now able to guarantee access to avoid long line-ups during popular and busy visitation times by obtaining a daily vehicle permit in advance. Doing so will help avoid crowding and wait times.

“Getting outdoors and spending time in nature can have many positive benefits on our physical and mental health this summer as we recover from the impacts of COVID- 19,” said Yurek. “That’s why our government is making it easier for people to safely enjoy nature by providing free day-use permits and making it possible to book day trips in advance, which guarantees access to the popular parks close to home.”

Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek speaks at Sandbanks Provincial Park while MPP Todd Smith looks on.

Visitors will be able to obtain a daily vehicle permit at ontarioparks.com/dayuse up to five days prior to arrival. This will allow people to plan ahead and have guaranteed access, which means more time enjoying the parks, preventing overcrowding and less time in long lines. Visitors can check daily vehicle permit availability for specific parks and dates on the reservations website at reservations.ontarioparks.com. “The ability to book day use at Ontario Parks in advance offers peace of mind to visitors and reduces waiting at the park gates. It also eases the impacts of congestion on local roads and that’s important to our community,” said Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte. “I’m also excited to learn that more families will be able to enjoy these beautiful natural spaces through free admission Monday to Thursday.”

Permits must be obtained and displayed on vehicles, even if admission is free. Holders of seasonal day passes will need to either book ahead or check in at the gates upon arrival—if park capacity hasn’t been reached. Once the parks are full, latecomers will be turned away. Yurek recommended arriving early. “I encourage everyone out there to utilize the reservation system, even if it’s a free day,” he said. “That will ensure you have the space available for you at the park. That will ensure the lineups are minimized, if possible. That will ensure you have the most time to spend to enjoy the day here.” Just this past Sunday, Sandbanks Provincial Park was at capacity before 9 a.m. And North Beach Provincial Park was shuttered just after lunch.

Yurek said he’s been in touch with County Mayor Steve Ferguson since last summer, when hour-long lineups crippled County roads. He said he continues to work with them to devise future steps to address the situation. “The County is delighted by the day-pass reservation system,” said Ferguson. “The County wants to see this pilot succeed and continue in future years.” Yurek did say that there will be some bugs to be worked out this year, but did expect that the reservation system could handle the demand. “We think there shouldn’t be much, if any, crashes to the system.”