What a shame to see the decline of what was once my favourite provincial park to visit in B.C.
Years ago, there were no flush toilets, no showers, firewood was included in the fee, and most importantly, the park was quiet. There was a park ranger on site who would collect fees, run interpretive programs and ensure there were no problems with guests in the evenings. My how things have changed over the last 25 years, and my experience last summer may be the last time I visit Ellison. There are so many concerns now, but I will detail a few here.
In the past, the programs were a great way to introduce visitors to the natural wonders and cultural history of the area. B.C. Parks ran a program for children called Jerry’s Rangers, where stickers were collected for participating in various activities and then a diploma was awarded upon completion. On certain nights, there was a gathering around the campfire where children learned the Ogopogo Song and many others.
There were exhibits, and sometimes native elders were invited to discuss how their lives were shaped by the land in past times. I recall that on one of many nature walks, we were taken to a kekuli which is still, I hope, located in the park. The interpretive programs are long gone now and the amphitheater now sits empty. Even the park brochures, which included maps and highlighted the flora and fauna of the area don’t seem to be printed anymore.
Back then, the wardens were physically fit and they actually walked around the entire campsite to collect fees, patrol the beaches and ensure park visitors complied with the quiet hours rule.
Several years ago, the contracted workers, which were hired as a replacement, made their way around the park via golf carts and they used this mode of transport to deliver firewood and collect fees. I thought the golf carts were a good thing, being that they were quiet and eco-friendly.
Last year, these carts were replaced with noisy, polluting ATVs. Ice is for sale now, which is great idea. Having said that, the downside is that now these ATVs do their rounds every half-hour all day long, driving around the entire park, including the beaches and generally disturbing the peace of the place. I inquired about the change to ATVs and was told by a worker that they are not physically able to walk around anymore and the previous golf carts are not capable of hauling both the ice and wood up and down the hills in the park.
The reservation system is a money grab and results in the prime spots being booked as soon as the online system is up and running in mid-March. Now only a half a dozen of the worst sites in the park are available for first-come first-serve visitors. I also do not understand the extra fee for vehicles being parked at a site which has been reserved and paid for already. It’s simply another cash cow and it must be a big one because someone comes around at 6 a.m. daily and tickets any additional vehicles which have been parked overnight. If an additional fee must be charged, at least make it a reasonable amount: $5 per day perhaps would suffice instead of half of the daily fee which is $12 per day and can really add up.
The beach is still nice but the boats that moor there during the day really should respect the fact that campers have perhaps driven a long way to be there and walked a long way down the hill to enjoy the cove and really don’t want to listen to blaring music as if they were on a busy city street.
I know this is a problem throughout the Okanagan. Whatever happened to respecting the space of others and the need for peace and quiet in the outdoors, particularly when they are in park space? If I had my druthers, all music would be banned in the park. Wear earbuds, moor your boat away from others, or better yet, stay home if music is that important to you and you cannot enjoy nature and the outdoors without it.
Speaking of noise, there is no one there during the day to ensure that RVs that run generators are only doing so during the acceptable hours, as a result, the noise is a disturbance to those who enjoy peace and quiet.
The most glaring change is the development of the Outback. Several camp sites now have light pollution from the homes nearby and they get to stare at a barbed wire fence with signs warning campers to not trespass.
I so look forward to all of the things about the park I enjoy and usually visit twice a year in both June and September. I love hanging in my hammock, enjoying the sun, listening to the birds, hiking amongst the pines, swimming in the lake and observing the wonderful starry night sky.
Mostly it’s the experience of being away from the noise of the city and of life in general that draws me back. I love the sublime beauty, the happy memories of times past and the general enchantment of the place, but sadly this is being chipped away at. I only hope that more people will take the time to let their thoughts be known regarding what has happened to Ellison park.
I understand that things change, but not all change is good. Parks are there for a reason, but it seems that this has been lost and economics rule the day.
Elaine Peters
Calgary, Alta.