Privately-owned P.E.I. campgrounds open June 1 with host of new COVID-19 guidelines

Privately-owned campgrounds are among the businesses allowed to reopen beginning June 1.

The province released new protocols campgrounds will have to follow this summer and many have been busy preparing for a new and different season this year.

Campers are preparing too.

Shara Clow said she can't wait to get to her favourite camping spot, Somers by the Beach Campground, which overlooks the Murray River in eastern P.E.I.

The Cornwall resident said she never considered cancelling her plans despite being in the middle of a global pandemic.

Clow said the campground is well maintained and cleaned so she doesn't have any concerns about going camping.

"I don't foresee a whole lot of … differences from summer to summer," said Clow.

"I cannot wait, it's going to be awesome."

'Pushed everybody to the private parks'

Campgrounds are permitted to reopen to P.E.I. residents as part of Phase 3 of the province's COVID-19 ease-back plan, but there will be a number of changes.

Playgrounds, swimming pools and recreation centres will be allowed to open. However, there will be limits to the number of people who can use these facilities, hand sanitizer stations will be put in place and common areas, including washrooms and laundry rooms, must be cleaned a minimum of five times within a 24-hour period.

Campsite owners must also track all guests and visitors into their sites and keep that information for one month for contact tracing purposes.

Jessie Somers, who co-owns Somers by the Beach along with her husband, Chris, said her campground caters mainly to Islanders so she is anticipating a banner year. She'll be welcoming her first guests on Monday.

"My July and August is probably 95 per cent full," said Somers.

"I think with the provincial parks not taking any reservations now for the summer … I think that's pushed everybody to the private parks because the last six weeks, it's phenomenal, the emails, the phone calls, people wanting to camp."

Campers can expect changes

Earlier this year, the P.E.I. government announced all provincially-owned campgrounds would open June 26. However, they will only be open for Islanders who booked their seasonal campsite prior to March 26. Tourism Minister Matthew MacKay said at the time the idea was to drive campers to private sites that will be facing "a very bleak tourism season this year."

Somers said she's had a few cancellations, mainly from visitors from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the U.S.

The push is now on to get her park, which has 53 sites, four cabins and a loft ready for her visitors.

She's installing portable sinks near pools, common areas and offices and adding hand sanitizer throughout the park.

There is also new signage reminding visitors about the importance of physical distancing, hand hygiene and cough and sneezing etiquette.

Despite all the changes, Somers said she's confident her visitors will still enjoy her campground.

'Something we've never seen before'

"I just want to make the camping experience as normal as I can for families but with all the rules in place," she said.

Bill Hogg of Sunset Campground in Cavendish isn't as optimistic.

Sunset Campground relies heavily on out-of-province visitors. Hogg said his plan is to open June 12.

Hogg, who has been in the campground business for more than 35 years, said the only way they are going to be able to salvage part of the season is to open the Island to visitors from the other Maritime provinces.

"Something we've never seen before, the Island is closed to business, which makes you question why you would open for business," said Hogg.

But he said the campground will open and he's hopeful government aid will help him weather what will be a difficult financial year.

"If you open up, you're sacrificing your statements for next fall."

'It will be different for sure'

The Chief Public Health Office has released an extensive document providing guidance to campground owners dealing with everything from booking and registration, to cleaning and disinfecting shared spaces, to signage.

Rosemary Hill of Charlottetown is also looking forward to hitting her favourite campground, Marco Polo Land in Cavendish. She's been camping most of her life, starting out in a tent and eventually moving up to a 39-foot travel trailer.

Hill said she's not going to let a global pandemic change her plans to spend her summer on P.E.I.'s North Shore camping.

But her husband's family from Nova Scotia, who would normally join them at Marco Polo Land, will not be able to do so this year — not yet anyway.

"It will be different for sure."

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