Heading to Mount Seymour? You'll soon need to get a day pass first
Due to what the province calls a "growing surge" of parkgoers, outdoor enthusiasts will soon need to have a day pass to spend time at a park on Metro Vancouver's North Shore.
The B.C. government announced an upcoming pilot program for Mount Seymour Provincial Park in a news release Wednesday.
Anyone who wants to spend time at the North Vancouver park, outside of the ski resort area, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. will need to have a day pass starting Dec. 15.
These passes, which can be booked up to two days in advance on the bcparks.ca website, are free, but mandatory.
The pass is only needed for those using the park and backcountry areas not covered by tickets purchased through the Mount Seymour ski resort.
They're also only good for part of the day. Visitors who choose a morning pass need to be out of the parking lot by noon, and those who opt for the afternoon pass won't be guaranteed a parking spot unless they get to the park between noon and 4 p.m.
A pass is required for every vehicle, and a maximum of one vehicle pass can be booked per timeslot, account and day.
And because cellphone service may be spotty at Mount Seymour, parkgoers are advised they should print out their pass, or download a copy on their phone before getting to the park.
The passes are meant to reduce traffic to the park, so those heading uphill can "enjoy a safe and less crowded experience," Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement.
At least for now, Seymour is the only provincial park that requires a pass. The program will be in place until March 31.
CTV News has reached out to the ministry to see whether people heading to the ski resort for lessons or with a pre-purchased lift pass also need to obtain a day pass.
The winter pass program follows a similar summer pilot program at some provincial parks in the province that also had the goal of reducing traffic to popular spots.
It was a controversial program first launched in 2020.
Recreation groups told CTV News that the province missed the mark, leaving some people out and forcing others to take trails they may not be prepared for, if they couldn't get a pass to the appropriate level of hiking route.
"Literally locking people out of parks with gates is not something we thought was the smartest move," said Taryn Eyton, president of the Friends of Garibaldi Park Society.
And the timing was tricky for some struggling with the impacts of the pandemic, Eyton said.
"It made it more difficult to access parks in a time when our health authorities are telling us that going outside is good for our physical and mental health."
Many groups said a better solution would be to open up trails and build more, rather than restricting access.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Scott Hurst
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.