I was at the outdoor Adventure Show on Saturday & picked up the Ontario Parks book, and I see that they raised the rate per night from $9.90 to $11.00 per adult per night.Your thoughts.

Dave

The crazy Liberal government is raising the minimum wage up to $9.50 an hour this March, it's going to force a lot of businesses to raise their prices. Very bad timing on the governments part, they should postpone this increase.

can i use "canadian tire money"
m.n.r workers justa signed da new contract. no strike this spring but higher rates??????? i.m.h.o

Good one Swede!
Yeah I think it sucks, but I'll pay it.
When it hits $20/night, maybe I'll move to The Park...would be closing in on my rent costs!
heh heh



Mark Rubino
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler - Blog
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler

http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

Its still cheaper than a trip down south......
and in my opinion.....better scenery!

Canoeguy
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http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/wwwcanoeguyca/45072670395
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cheaper to go to haliburton now. Not like im not gonna pay, it is cheaper than florida, but may I add, far more relaxing.

I noticed the price increase when I booked my May trip - I remember when it was $4.50 per night. I guess that makes me old, but that wasn't all that long ago.

Can you purchase a season long pass? Just wonder about Mark's 32 night trip - that adds up pretty quickly!

Thanks,
Aaron

Well, if we keep paying, whose the stupid one, the Government or us. They will keep raising it if we keep paying. Can you blame them? It's like gas prices. They know they will always get people to pay it.Soon, between the gas and the fees, it will only be the rich who will be able to afford the enjoyment of camping.

There are seasonal passes, but they aren't for overnight camping. They are only for day-use.

Day use fees:
http://www.parkreports.com/fees/day_use_fees.php?year=2009

Seasonal passes:
http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/passes.html

Backcountry fees:
http://www.parkreports.com/fees/backcountry.php?year=2009




Barbara

$11.00 is still a fair price. I have been looking into some of the National Parks, they have rates that start at over $15.00 a night for back country camping. And some won't allow you to have a fire, and those that do, won't allow you to pick up dead fall to burn. You have to buy wood. Think I will stick with Algonquin.

I just purchased my plane ticket to North Bay. $845.00. The 11 bucks won't worry me too much. lol



Gordie

Good grief....I was just stunned that Joan & Markus can get 32 days off work in one chunk...I wasn't thinking that camping fees alone will cost them $704.00!!

yikes.

Better start selling cookies now, kids.



Barbara

OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!

Barbara, your slipping again!

31 nights = 11/night = $341.00 x 2 = $682.00

Still pretty darn cheap than say going to the Caribbean for 7 nights, $1200 per person or something like that, and you don't get the solitude for that price, that you can get in APP, fo rmuch cheaper...although, you do have to sweat a lot more...but hey it's part of the experience!



Mark Rubino
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler - Blog
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler

http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

Now you know why I'm always confused at the access office...


yeah, 6 nights...no wait, that's 6 days, so 5 nights we pay for, right? uh, yeah...i think


It's hardly fair to compare Algonquin to the Caribbean...as if the Caribbean could even begin to measure up.



Barbara

awww..such sweet talk, careful now, Joan will think your after my heart!
LOL



Mark Rubino
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler - Blog
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler

http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

682.......holy crap! Still cheaper than one months rent!

I always look at it as supporting the park. And keeping APP a park.

I wonder how much of the user permit fees goes to Algonquin operating costs instead of Ontario Parks admin costs?

What I'm getting at is do they stay in house or does head office get all of the $?

The money collected goes into a pool, money that all Ontario PP collect. Sadly, Algonquin does not get it's fair share.

Can't say I'm happy about it. But that's coming from a measly student income.

Would be nice to have season passes. Makes a lot of sense, IMO. It's guaranteed money for them, and anyone who'd be willing to pay such a large fee would likely (though not necessarily) be a respectful recreationalist.

How much should a season pass cost? What would be fair to frequent park visitors and the park system? $100? $500? $1000? $682?

OH MY GAWD!!!

I'm sure based on budgets and so on, one can come up with a little operations research project to resolve a suitable price. They likely have our data with past/upcoming trip durations.

I guess I've always been spoiled living in the US, where state parks are generally free (at least the ones I go to)

A much as I love the park, it's becoming prohibitively expensive. I'm planning a trip to the Missinaibi River for 2010, and the ten day permit for four is more expensive than gas and food combined.

I completely understand the need for the park and all others to generate revenue, but I think a season backcountry pass would be a great way to help out patrons like Markus and the rest who add much more to the park beyond their money.

Hey the Brycer ,

Probably the only person here that actually has taken a course in operations research. Didn't learn didley. Except for some queing theory. Explained why some other line at the grocery checkout always seems to move faster than the one you're in .

LOL

I guess I was a bit general. Seems like a (relatively) basic optimization problem I'm sure it could be done. I'd be interested in seeing whether the bulk of nightly rates paid come from people who spend >=15 nights in the park per 'season'.

When I proposed the season pass question, I expected to get various opinions as the replies. Sure, a formula could be derived to find the optimal price, but I'll leave that to someone with an MBA. As to the >=15-nighters, my guess would be that the bulk of Algonquin visitors go on one or two trips per year (or less). It's just a gut feeling, though, based on observations of trippers on lakes close to the access points. Those of you who count your days in the park with double digits every year are an elite group, I think.

You used to be able to get a discount on a 16-night continuous trip.



Jeff

--

Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry - abrweb.ca

My Algonquin Park Map - Accurate, Detailed, Free

Ahhhhh, St. Martin ... blue ocean, tree frogs, limin' ... no cold, no wind-chill, no allergies, sometimes no clothes; okay, so the latter happens in Algonquin as well ... one day, the Caribbean for a month. Of course i'll never be able to afford it now with 32 days in Algonquin

I think from an economic perspective, an interior season pass wouldn't make too much sense.
A season pass for daytrips has been around for awhile. Maintaining latrines, garbage receptacles, checking vehicle permits, and all other infrastructure located along the highway#60 corridor, is pretty much routine now, and all those services a daily vehicle pass or season pass holder would utilize all those facilities.

If a season pass for interior access were to be used, and if the numbers were there, i.e. an upsurge in attendance, it could create a situation where more staff would be needed to attend facilities associated with the interior. More users, could increase encounters with fallen trees on portages, over-flowing thunderboxes, ...another words more complaints about the interior facilities, which would require more staff to deal with issues as they crop up.

Don't get me wrong, I would welcome a season pass, which would reduce my costs of tripping in APP, but I think it would increase The Park's costs as well. So no 'go' as one would say.






Mark Rubino
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler - Blog
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler

http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

Well all I have to say is Im sure we will get more for our money.

since I believe that the various access offices are still bid on concessions a raise in fees may or may not put money on the park's budget. I don't know if they have a min bid on the concession. But as far as season passes it wouldn't hurt the park but maybe the concessioneer.However the idea is some wouldn't exhaust their paid days and others would exceed it.How much extra it costs to have a few hundred extra nights is debatable .They clean a latrine if it has 300 or 400 craps in it.Same with clearing a portage.

Good one Anon! he heh..that makes more sense too. I don't have a clue if they still bid for various access point offices though. Maybe Ont. Parks would compensate a contractor if they had to process season pass holders..else I guess they'd be run out of business?