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
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.