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 Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.