Resort municipality mayor calls on feds to waive national park fees

The mayor of the resort municipality that includes Cavendish, P.E.I., and surrounding areas is calling on the federal government to eliminate entrance fees to national parks this summer.

Matthew Jelley said the fees can discourage people from visiting and that will make the economic recovery from COVID-19 slower. He said in 2017, when the fees were suspended to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada, there was a 30-per-cent increase in traffic to P.E.I. National Park.

"That shows that the fees are a barrier. And it shows that Canadians want to get out and experience their national parks and I think that message this year more than ever is one that we could all get behind."

A seasonal pass to P.E.I. National Park costs $40 for adults and $80 for a family/group. The daily fee is $7.90 for an adult and $16 for a family/group. Admission is free for people aged 17 and younger. There is no admission fee for provincial parks on Prince Edward Island.

Has written to MPs

Jelley said he has written a letter to Island MPs as well as Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal minister responsible for Parks Canada, asking for the fees to national parks be removed. He said revenue from entrance fees is only a small part of the Parks Canada budget.

In a statement to CBC, Parks Canada said fees "represent excellent value" that ensure the parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas are accessible while "providing reasonable cost recovery."

It just seems like a missed opportunity.— Resort Municipality Mayor Matthew Jelley  

The statement reads: "Fees collected from visitors are reinvested in park and site operations and help to provide high quality visitor services.

"By collecting fees, Parks Canada is able to continue to provide engaging visitor experiences, even during this challenging time, which in turn is helping to support the Canadian tourism industry."

Jelley doesn't know if his request will lead to anything, but he said it's "never too late for common sense to take hold," and hopes to at least spark a broader discussion about park fees.

"More than ever, it's important to get people out to be active and redeploy the staff where they could be better used for visitor services, for enhanced sanitation, for interpretation. But having them collecting fees in a year where we know it's primarily Canadians that are going to be out enjoying it just seems like a missed opportunity."

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