WESTLOCK — Westlock County is continuing to implement the user-pay model they’ve agreed to follow during the budget process, which includes a new $20 per vehicle fee to access the Long Island Lake Campground.
But residents aren’t too keen on the new payment system and their discontent showed on social media.
The new charge applies for four people, and each additional person is an extra $5, which county admin says will help alleviate parking problems at the site with more people carpooling. Previously, park-goers paid $5 per vehicle to access the day use areas.
For Jennifer Woynorowski, who lives in Division 4 and has a family of five, the new fee means a price hike of 500 per cent for an hour or two at the beach.
"When it gets down to value for your money, you’re gambling when you’ve got a young family because you don’t know how long you’ll stay. We’re taxpayers, that beach belongs to the taxpayers, so why are they making it unaffordable for families to go when there’s no reason for it?” Woynorowski told the News over the phone Feb. 12.
“It’s a valuable resource to the people of our county and I don’t think those people were thought of at all in this decision-making process. It certainly wasn’t talked about during the (Feb. 9) meeting,” which she attended.
Woynorowski plans to return Feb. 23 with a delegation to council.
Coun. Isaac Skuban suggested a reversed payment structure of $5 per person, capped at $20, which he says would be as effective in limiting the number of cars at Long Island.
“It makes it easier to bring a family,” Skuban said. “I don’t think the parking would be a huge problem since we’ve raised the fee.”
The county’s community services, Jessica Toews, said parking is the biggest problem at the campground, including in the overflow area where some don’t park according to the posted signage. More cars, she says, or more people per car, also means more people on the beach which creates a “maintenance situation.”
“It’s not like we’re looking to gouge. We are a fantastic location, so are we promoting how amazing our campground is and are we managing our campground effectively?” Toews said.
To Woynorowski, the reasons the county gave for increasing the entrance fees are unjustified, and they’re only making Long Island price-prohibitive to families. The site, she says, pays for itself, there shouldn’t be a fee increase, and the problems says they’re having have other solutions.
“I didn’t notice excessive amounts of litter. When I hear that there’s excessive litter, you know what that tells me? There should be more garbage cans. I don’t think a response to litter is to make it price-prohibitive so that less people go.”
In an email to Woynorowski, her councillor, deputy reeve Brian Coleman, said he’ll be recommending the county add a $10 discount for people with valid Westlock driver’s licenses. Coleman confirmed the exchange and said it’ll be brought up Feb. 16 at a governance and priorities meeting.
If the fee stays in place, regardless of the proposed discount, she plans to stop going to Long Island and find other, cheaper alternatives, most of which are outside Westlock County.
“Cross Lake is free, you can drive up to Forfar (Recreation Park), Athabasca County keeps their prices very reasonable. There’s other lakes around here. … I’m not paying $25 to go to the beach and we’ll be spending our money in other counties.”
The new fee also impacts the sheltered picnic area, which accommodates up to four vehicles. It now costs $80 to reserve, up $30 from last year.
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