County of Barrhead to reopen its campgrounds and boat launches

BARRHEAD-The County of Barrhead will be opening its parks and campground areas sooner than they anticipated.

Two weeks prior, councillors passed a resolution stating that the County of Barrhead would follow the provincial example and close its municipal campgrounds and boat launches until at least May 19 However, when Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced the province's plan on April 30 to slowly reopen segments of the economy and society councillors had to decide if the municipality would follow suit.

The first segment to open was provincial parks on May 1, with campgrounds, minus bathroom or garbage services, starting June 1.
In the end, on May 5 as part of an online meeting, councillors voted unanimously to grant county manager Debbie Oyarzun the authority to start opening the municipality's campgrounds and boat launches.

The municipality has four outdoor recreational facilities with camping sites including Peanut Lake, Holmes Crossing Recreation Area, Dolberg Lake Campground and Klondike Ferry Park. The boat launch is at the Dolberg Lake Campground.

Oyarzun admitted to being frustrated when she learned, through a media release, that came the same time as Kenney's address.

She said since the province declared a provincial state of a public du health emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak on March 17, she has been taking part in weekly, if not more, with online or teleconferences, with her fellow directors of management (DEM). In most small or rural communities the chief administrative officer often fulfils this role.

On April 28, during one of these conferences, they were advised by the "chief of staff for pandemic response" that the province was considering a relaunch strategy and that they would be consulting with all the DEMs.

"The majority of the questions during that call were on beaches, boat launches, garage sales, markets and what can we expect or do in preparation and share with the public," Oyarzun said.

She said the provincial official reiterated that they would need to emphasize social distancing and that the public would have to continue to follow public health guidelines.

Oyarzun added the DEMs didn't indicate that the province would be announcing its relaunch strategy two days later and that the first initiatives would start to take place the next day.

"As a DEM I'm very frustrated about the lack of communication because that impacts the advice I give you which then impacts your ability to make good decisions," she said, adding she has expressed those concerns to the province. "How are we supposed to align ourselves with the province with no notice?"
Oyarzun said one of the reasons why she recommended that the municipality follow the province's lead is so that the public isn't confused by mixed messaging.

It should be noted that although the province is in the process of opening its provincial parks and campgrounds as well as allowing the opening of golf courses they continue to emphasize all public health guidelines, Oyarzun noted they will also be restricted in most cases to 50 per cent of their former capacity.
She then suggested that councillors needed to respond to the province's opening its provincial parks and campgrounds saying any resolution they decide on should be "generic" enough so that the municipality could respond to a government decision quickly.

Coun. Darrell Troock suggested that the municipality's campgrounds and boat launches should remain closed.
"Our facilities are not manned unless we hire people to look after the campgrounds, I would feel more comfortable if we kept them closed until the province lifted all restrictions," he said.

Reeve Doug Drozd said he preferred to follow the province's lead.

"People don't know the difference between municipal and provincial facilities," he said.

Oyarzun interjected saying many provincial facilities are not manned.

"As long as the sites are signed properly, inform the public and that our peace officers as part of their patrols they need to check the sites," she said. "But I think it is important that we align with the province."

It should be noted that the County of Barrhead contracts its peace officer service from Lac Ste. Anne County and is limited to 80 hours per month. Coun. Marvin Schatz noted there have been reports that people have been fishing on Dolberg Lake and accessing it through the county’s campground.

Oyarzun gave no estimate at when municipal campgrounds and boat launches would reopen noted it would take time for public works to take down barricades and put up the appropriate signage.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com

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