Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park reopens July 12 after two years of renovations
The largest campground in Jasper National Park is reopening on July 12 and campers will be able to book sites online starting Thursday.
Whistlers Campground is reopening after a $60 million renovation that took two summers to complete.
Parks Canada said in a statement that half of the nearly 800 sites will be available for park goers to enjoy on July 12. The remaining half of campsites at Whistlers will become available a week after, the park’s authority said.
Bookings will open on Thursday, June 24, at 8 a.m. and can be completed online using the Parks Canada Reservation Service.
Parks Canada recommends interested campers create a My Parks Canada Reservation Account ahead of time to be ready for online reservations. The park says they expect a “high volume” of people reserving sites at Whistlers Campground on the first day of bookings.
The renovations included building a new registration centre and three all-gender accessible washrooms.
Wider roads throughout the campground will allow for two-way RV traffic and a new separate entrance road for guests returning to the site after already registering will help alleviate traffic bottlenecks, Parks Canada said.
Eighteen new combined shower and washroom facilities throughout the campground have been built. According to Parks Canada, campers will not have to walk more than 250 metres in order to use a washroom or shower.
Jonathan Wilkinson, federal minister of the environment, said in a statement that the renovations will help contribute to tourism and high-quality experiences for park visitors in Jasper.
“Throughout the pandemic, Albertans and all Canadians, have reconnected and rediscovered nature,” Wilkinson said.
“These substantial investments our government has made in Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park will ensure this iconic national park continues to offer safe and breathtaking experiences to Albertans and visitors from all around the globe for decades to come.”
According to Parks Canada, visitors to the renovated campground will notice young saplings in place of many of the removed mature trees.
“It will take many years for these saplings to gain height,” Parks Canada said in a statement. “In the meantime, many campsites in Whistlers now have more sun and greater mountain views than before.”
Ground around electrical, sewer, and water lines was “significantly disturbed,” Parks Canada said as Whistlers underwent utilities upgrading. The park authority is asking campers to stay off the newly seeded areas to ensure natural grasses and vegetation can grow.
Parks Canada says it hopes to hold an official grand reopening ceremony in spring 2022 when all renovation work is completed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.