The May Long Weekend of May 20 through 24 will be a dry one for several provincial and national park campgrounds throughout Alberta. Responding to alcohol related issues from year past, authorities have decreed no alcohol zones in parks for all there--including RVers."The May long weekend in Alberta has the highest number of liquor-related enforcement interventions with problems like vandalism, impaired driving, assaults and other crimes," said Camille Weleschuk, spokeswoman for Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. As a result, no alcohol will be allowed in the closed areas from noon Thursday through 6:00 pm Monday on those days. Have a "stiff one," and face a stiff fine: $256 per violation and a free tossing out of the park.
The parks include: Aspen Beach Provincial Park, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Dillberry Lake Provincial Park, Garner Lake Provincial Park, Ghost Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area, Jarvis Bay Provincial Park, Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Pigeon Lake Provincial Park, Wabamun Lake Provincial Park, Whitney Lakes Provincial Park, as well as seven front country parks in Banff National Park.
The move has drawn editorial fire from the Calgary Herald, which writes, "As much as we sympathize with the desire to manage the yahoos, an outright ban punishes everyone for the actions of the few. The problem is not with the family out for the weekend in the motorhome, it is the young rowdies in the tents." The Herald cites lack of enforcement of existing laws as the real problem with alcohol problems in campgrounds.
photo credit: kevin on flickr.com by creative commons license
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