Wednesday May 27, 2020 ~ GREATER VICTORIA
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
The Capital Regional District (CRD) will be opening Regional Park campgrounds on June 5, 2020 as per COVID-19 measures set out by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), it was announced today May 27.
BC will enter Phase 3 of economic recovery starting June 1, as part of the Restart BC program.
Online registration for Island View Beach Regional Park Campground will open May 29. The campgrounds at Sooke Potholes Regional Park and Jordan River Regional Park are on a first-come first-served basis.
Visitors are reminded that camping outside of the three official campgrounds is not permitted.
Some adjustments have been made in light of COVID-19:
- All sites at Island View Beach Campground will only be reservable with no first-come first-serve.
- Sites will be cleaned between occupancies. Visitors should consider bringing a cleaning kit with them to clean amenities around their campsite such as picnic tables and to practice proper hand hygiene while camping.
- The group fire ring at Island View Beach Campground will be closed. As per local municipal rules, there are no fires permitted on the beach.
- Regular capacity is reduced from seven (7) people to six (6) people per site to be in line with social distancing recommendations and to reduce group gatherings.
If you’re sick, don’t go to parks:
The CRD is calling for visitors to CRD regional and electoral area parks to demonstrate responsible use. Visitors must adhere to the orders and recommendations of the PHO to ensure social distancing.
If you are sick, please visit another time. Consider staying local by choosing a park close to home.
Bylaw enforcement:
The CRD will continue to have a more visible presence in the parks to encourage responsible parks usage by educating visitors about social distancing, monitoring visitor use and continuing to enforce park bylaws. CRD parks visitors can expect to see increased presence of park interpreters, park rangers and CRD bylaw officers.
Serving the public with regional parks:
CRD Regional Parks protects and has the responsibility to manage more than 13,000 hectares of natural areas in our regional parks on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. We recognize many families and individuals rely on our regional parks, and we need your support by continuing responsible use while visiting and camping in regional parks.
For updated information on the CRD’s response to COVID-19, please visit www.crd.bc.ca/covid.