The Canada Day long weekend officially kicks off the super busy season inside provincial parks. That is according to Elisabeth Ostrop, Manager of Recreation and Education Services for Manitoba Parks. 

She says historically when Canada Day falls on a Friday or a Monday, that is one of the busiest weekends of the summer and Ostrop expects this year will be no different.

"Campgrounds, especially in the southeastern part of Manitoba are full, full, full on Friday night and Saturday night," says Ostrop. "If you want to wait till Sunday you might find something or if you are willing to travel a little further, you might find a basic service site available somewhere."

Not only is this expected to be a busy weekend, it is also opening weekend for several campgrounds in the North Whiteshell that have remained closed due to floodwaters. Ostrop says campgrounds at Betula, Dorothy and Nutimik lakes, as well as Opapiskaw can now be reached, either by taking Seven Sisters park entrance or the Rennie Park entrance. 

The Hunt Lake Trail, the Caddy Lake Tunnels and backcountry campsites on the Winnipeg River above Lamprey Falls remain closed due to high water levels. Travelling on the Winnipeg River above Lamprey Falls is not recommended.

According to Ostrop, campgrounds have been fairly busy to start this camping season. However, she says until school is out, camping is largely reserved for the weekends. With several campgrounds experiencing high water this year, Ostrop says Parks staff have been busy contacting customers and cancelling reservations where necessary. 

Reservation holders will be contacted if they are affected by a campsite closure. If affected by a closure, reservation holders can request a full refund or move their reservation to another available location. Campers should not pre-emptively cancel reservations before being notified of a site closure, otherwise, cancellation policies will apply.