The Village of Kaslo in British Columbia (B.C) has eliminated its CA$5 shower fee for non-campers at the municipal campground.
During a May 27 council meeting, village officials adopted a bylaw amendment that removed several outdated campground fees, including the additional $5 charge previously required from non-campers to use the showers.
Users must still insert $1 in coins to activate the showers.
Kaslo Chief Administrative Officer Robert Baker said the decision to eliminate the fee was driven primarily by enforcement concerns rather than a desire to make services cheaper.
“There were issues identifying whether someone’s a non-camper or a day park user or some other visitor, and the operator suggested that adding extra administration to try to track people down to get this CA$5 fee was onerous,” Baker said, as reported by Castanet on July 5.
Campground staff also indicated that non-campers may still be denied access to showers, regardless of the fee removal. Shower access decisions for the general public will continue to be made at the discretion of onsite staff.
The updated bylaw also eliminated other campground charges that were deemed unnecessary or outdated. These included special group event fees and a flexible sanitary fee that varied depending on usage.
In place of the variable sanitary fee, a flat CA$10 charge has been introduced. According to the village’s agenda, the change brings Kaslo’s rates in line with comparable services in neighboring municipalities.
According to its website, the Kaslo Municipal Campground is situated at the end of A Avenue, directly along the scenic shoreline of Kootenay Lake.
Its location provides convenient access to nearby attractions, including Vimy Park, a sheltered picnic area, and a children’s playground.
Visitors are just a short walk from the S.S. Moyie National Historic Site and Kaslo’s downtown shops and restaurants.
Open from spring through fall, weather permitting, the campground offers both serviced and unserviced sites, hot showers, and free Wi-Fi.
The campground offers several serviced site options to accommodate different needs. A 15-amp electricity site is available for CA$38 per night per camper unit. Sites with 30-amp electricity are priced at CA$45 per night, while those with both 30-amp electricity and wastewater service cost CA$50.
Campsite occupancy beyond two adults incurs an additional charge of CA$5 per person, though children under 12 stay free. Group sites are also available upon inquiry.