Camping enthusiasts have struggled to secure spots in some of Canada’s provincial parks for years.
The current Parks Canada reservation system, criticized for its slow speed, frequent crashes, and inability to handle the high demand, will soon be replaced by a “more modernized” version.
According to CBC News, on March 13, Parks Canada will launch its updated system for camping, cabin, and outdoor activities, which will stagger bookings over the next two weeks to minimize website traffic.
The new system has been in the making for over three years and features measures to limit the number of reservations an individual can make at one time.
For example, users can only place a maximum of five campsites in their cart before proceeding to checkout.
The agency did not provide images of the new interface, but it is expected to be similar to those of Parks California and Florida State Parks, as all three shares the same vendor, US eDirect.
However, while some seasoned campers hope that these changes will make booking their desired dates easier, others believe stricter policies are needed to accompany the new booking system.
This sentiment was echoed on Parks Canada’s Facebook post announcing the new reservation system. Several comments called for the agency to penalize no-shows and late cancellations that leave campsites unfilled. In response, Parks Canada encouraged campers to cancel early but acknowledged that sometimes unexpected events could prevent arrival at the reservation.
In addition to stricter policies, some campers call for the agency to add alerts that notify users if a spot opens up at their preferred campground or cabin.
Currently, campers must keep checking the Parks Canada site for cancellations or sign up for a third-party website that will do it for them.
Ontario Parks has already implemented availability notifications, and Sask Parks has recently announced that its system will have a notification feature when reservations open in April.
While the revamped Parks Canada booking system aims to make more campers happy this summer, there is still room for improvement.
Whether stricter policies, availability notifications or something else, campers continue to voice their desires and hopes for a more seamless reservation process.
Did you know that there’s a cool idea floating around to level up the Parks Canada reservation system? How about a waitlist to grab those last-minute cancellations? Some experts are even talking about using fancy predictive tech to help us snag those prime camping spots hassle-free. Sounds promising, right?