The Woodlawn Regional Park is explaining the reasons for increasing the daily gate pass rates for this season.
The park announced earlier this month that the daily gate fee to access the park would increase from $5 to $10. It’s believed to be the first increase for the daily rate in many years.
Park business manager Maureen Daoust said they looked at the day pay rates in the offseason, and compared it to other regional parks in the province, particularly those in the southeast. Many of those parks don’t have the same amenities as Estevan.
“Their gate fees are anywhere from $7 and $10 per day, so we took a look,” said Daoust. “We have a couple of board members that sit … around our table and have been there for probably 20-plus years, and none of them can remember there ever being an increase since the inception of the park.”
They also considered what the park has to offer before increasing the rates.
“Everything we incur for revenue goes right back into the park to maintain and continue to offer amenities to all of the patrons that enter the park,” Daoust said
She believes Woodlawn is more aligned with what other regional parks are offering in the province.
Since the rate increase became public, people have been asking questions, but the park wanted to be pro-active and let people know about the rate increase in advance.
There are people who are reluctant to pay when they reach the gate, and some have been verbally abusive of the staff in the past. So the park is trying to let the public know in advance that they are doing it. Daoust also reminded people to treat the park staff with courtesy and respect.
“They don’t make the rules, they’re just enforcing them,” said Daoust.
The season pass will remain $45 for this year, and will get pass holders into any regional park in the province.
