Putting order to chaos

Park on the Bruce Peninsula innovating to manage visitor expectations

Park on the Bruce Peninsula innovating to manage visitor expectations

By then, however, Wellington beach (as well as Sandbanks and North Beach) was already full. And closed. The soon-to-beturned- away-folks walked passed clusters of already-disappointed-visitors, not yet aware of the fate that awaited them just ahead. The already-disappointed, meanwhile, gathered under shade contemplating their next move—each gazing hopefully into their mobile devices.

About 20 minutes earlier, Shire Hall had issued a statement announcing that the beach was closed. It encouraged them to come back another day and advised against swimming from private land and to respect parking restrictions. Helpfully, the notice also included a list of public washrooms nearby.

Closing these facilities solves the most immediate issue of overcrowded beaches, but it fails to address the bigger issue—that folks who have invested time and energy to visit the beach are not easily dissuaded. It is a problem for the kids whose job is to turn people away, for private landowners forced to shoo-away squatters. And it is a poor way to manage visitor expectations.

It is a challenge the folks at Bruce Peninsula National Park have had some success in negotiating. About 2.5 hours from Toronto, the Grotto at Bruce Peninsula National Park is an intensely popular summertime destination.

In 2017, the park implemented a day-use reservation system.

“With the growth of the GTA [Greater Toronto Area], visitation numbers over the last 10 to 15 years have been increasing,” explained Park Superintendent John Haselmayer. “We have a parking lot that accommodates 150 vehicles that were apportioned on a first come, first serve basis. But by 9 a.m., the parking lot was full, and everyone else was turned away.”

By 2016 the park was turning hundreds of vehicles away each summer day, thousands on the weekend.

“Folks had driven up with the expectation of an enjoyable outdoor experience only to be turned away and disappointed,” said Haselmayer.

The park needed a solution.

The day-use reservation system was adopted in 2017 in anticipation of the swell resulting from Canada’s 150th-anniversary celebrations. The park offers three different time slots during the day. Visitors may book weeks or months in advance.

“It is working very well,” said Haselmayer. “And it has gone a long way to addressing the issue. The word has largely gotten around that you don’t go to the grotto without a reservation.”

Not by happenstance. Haselmayer said the park rolled out a communication plan using the park’s website and social media. They also purchased billboard space en route to remind folks not to come to the park without a reservation.

The reservation system has not eliminated redirects, but it has steadily reduced them. Though Haselmayer admits the number of cars turned around this summer has ticked back up again, likely due to the pressures of living in the city during the pandemic.

Haselmayer noted the importance of the strong working relationship with neighbouring municipalities and the Saugeen Ojibway First Nations.

“We know that when we turn people around, we are creating challenges on adjacent municipal roads and neighbouring properties,” said Haselmayer.

But beyond the nuisance and enforcement issues, Haselmayer points to the need for a regional strategy.

“It is not about one jurisdiction working alone,” said the superintendent, “It won’t be effective.”

So together the regional partners sat down few years ago to ask themselves some tough questions.

“What kind of destination do we want the Bruce Peninsula to be? What kind of tourists do we want to attract? What do we want them to do while they are here? How do we do tourism that is economically beneficial to the community without impacting the lifestyle, social and the environment? We had to ask ourselves: Are we loving this place to death?”

To the folks at Shire Hall, and perhaps Ontario Parks and Quinte Conservation, these are likely familiar questions.

Mayor Steve Ferguson has urged provincial officials to consider a day-use reservation system at Sandbanks Provincial Park. He spoke directly to Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, on a visit to the County earlier this month.

“During Minister Yurek’s recent visit to the County on August 5 as well as during our delegation meeting with him his staff on August 17, one of our recommendations to him was a timed entry system at Sandbanks Provincial Park,” said Mayor Ferguson.

“We got a commitment from Minister Yurek that ministry staff will work with County staff during the fall of 2020 to explore possible solutions as part of the tourism management plan that we are developing for January 2021. We also stressed to Minister Yurek that Sandbanks should be dealt with outside typical park operations because of its unique nature.”