VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Hi Dave

Camping fees have also gone up at that site to $15. This fee structure is site specific to Nitinat and it was put in place to offset some of the maintenance costs that are being incurred. There has been some significant challenges this year at Nitinat with people parking all over the site (upwards of 200 vehicles, 500 people), blocking access, staying 14 days +, camping on private property, using the facilities like the outhouses and water but not paying any fees. There was significant safety and sanitary concerns. In order to cover all the additional costs of outhouse pumping, cleaning, enforcement an increased presence by site attendants we have put this fee into effect. Thanks.

Jessica McKierahan
Recreation Officer
South Coast Recreation District
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
4885 Cherry Creek Road
Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 8E9
Office phone M/Tu/F: 250-731-3024
Cell Phone: 250-735-3024
Fax: 250-731-3010

another reason why Cook St is my favorite spot to kite... espcially when no one else is there!

sending this Jessica an email pronto

Likewise Gordons. Any chance I/we could sign on to your e-mail Abetanzo

send Jessica an email JL!

I'm ranting a bit in mine so not sure you'd want to sign it...

haha kidding!

I just sent one off as well.

According to her numbers they will now be collecting between $2000-3000 PER DAY on busy days. There is no way enforcement and sanitation costs that amount unless they are seriously mismanaging the financials.

If they have a problem with parking safety, they need to fine/tow the offenders instead of applying a flat tax to everyone which doesn't even fix the problem.

To add some perspective to this:

Squamish is around $30 per day to kite, with no camping or water, and its super (I mean super) crowded. You do have services though like dedicated kite launchers, first aid and a seadoo rescue. But Squamish is often not easily accessible either, it’s long drive in gridlock Vancouver traffic, or a ferry.

By comparison Nitnat @10 or $15 per day is a total steal, and we’re supporting the Ditidaht who don’t have many other visitors.

Luke

A Forestry Camp site operator ( help me here Dale ) http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/partneri ... ments.aspx is responsible to manage the site NOT profit beyond the stated rates. "on a cost recovery/non profit basis" . It wasn't many years ago that these sites were provided ( with no user fee ) by logging companies as part of there rights to harvest OUR timber. That was before logging companies were in the real estate business Nitinaht Camp ground IS on former crown land that is subject to an "agreement" with the Ditidaht band. http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/topic/ ... tidaht.pdf Please read page# 19 6-3 & 6-5 ... http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/about/faqs.aspx The posted rates are now: $10 day , $15 camping + a $2 premium for water front sites. A problem I worry about is being turned away because the site is full. kiting / windsurfing / camping @ Nitinaht has been a communal adventure & it would be a shame to loose that http://www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca/search/s ... &type=Site

The Squamish fee includes, as mentioned, ACTUAL services. If the parks people ran a rescue jet ski(or two) all day and had launchers I could start agreeing with the financials. As far as I know, Nitnat doesn't even have a full time parks person, they just come around sometimes.

skywalker wrote:By comparison Nitnat @10 or $15 per day is a total steal, and we’re supporting the Ditidaht who don’t have many other visitors.

I doubt that very much, the Ditidaht won't see any benefits of this cash....or maybe the select few....and at those rates, I agree, where is this money going?? Certainly beyond paying a guy a monthly salary to collect fees and stock toilet paper and a few backhoe hours/gravel for the new sites.... and a day use fee of $10 is a crazy cash grab, mid season no less and no updating of the website, nice work MOF lucky we have many sailing locations (still) to choose from without donating our vehicles. Guess my Nat days are over, too bad

Wow... classic #firstworldproblems lol

Sorry...couldn't resist...carry on

bwd wrote:Wow... classic #firstworldproblems lol

Well put.

All the points (both sides) are valid, but if you're blowing $50 on gas to get there, is a $10 parking fee really the end of the world? Never mind the $$ you spent on your gear? Especially when there's no wind down here (Vic). By the same token, where do the increases stop if no-one is accountable?

BWD ... you joke, but this extra cost needs careful scrutiny

If you add up the cost of our gear (guessing $5,000 + at the LOW end for any kiter or pollskipper), AND, paying over $50 gas round-trip to the lake, AND maybe a flat repair ... Like, how on earth can any of us buck up an additional $10 for parking. Surely, that'll break us !!! Way unfair

Yeah, pretty first world I'd say ....

EDIT: tbrown beat me to it !

Christy Clark (our BC Premier) eliminated day use fees at BC Provincial Parks some years ago. The day use fee of $2.00.day to park your car and walk your dog was very unpopular with the general public. It was politically a no brainer for her to eliminate the day use fees.

We are a relative minority, but how about windsurfers and kiters sending the Premier an email as well? http://www.squamishchief.com/news/local ... -1.1104879

Good point I'd forgotten about her good deed.