Latest news with #reservationSystem
CBC
7 days ago
- General
- CBC
Backlash over Kits Pool keeping its reservation system in place
Backlash over Kits Pool keeping its reservation system in place 4 minutes ago Duration 2:04
CTV News
26-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Park board defends Kits Pool booking system amid criticism from mayor
The Vancouver Park Board is defending the Kits Pool reservation system that has drawn the ire of some, including the mayor. It was started during COVID-19 restrictions and is now being called outdated. Still, the board seems in no hurry to make changes. The reservation system has been in place for years now. Users can book two-and-a-half-hour sessions, with 20 per cent of the capacity left for drop-ins. 'The most important thing that I want people to know is that drop-in is obviously still an option for folks who are looking to swim at Kits Pool,' park board general manager Steve Jackson told CTV News during a Friday interview. 'We do have an incredible amount of capacity to accommodate our drop-in users.' While some claim the system is preventing those with unpredictable schedules from going for a swim, the park board insists it's not the case. 'We've only had one session so far this summer where we had to turn folks away for drop-ins,' Jackson said. 'I was on site yesterday myself talking to the head life guard, and he mentioned the same thing. They are able to accommodate quite a lot of people through drop-ins.' Others have criticized the changeover periods lasting half an hour each between booked sessions, in which the pool sits empty, often during prime times. 'Before we went through this process, and even well before COVID, we received a lot of complaints about the cleanliness of our changerooms,' Jackson said, when asked about those complaints. 'So that changeover time allows our staff to get through those changerooms. It allows the patrons to get in and out as well. They've got to shower, they've got to change.' But none of this is convincing Mayor Ken Sim, who has now joined those calling for a return to a first-come-first-served system. 'Yeah, look, I want to be very respectful to the park board GM,' Sim said Friday. 'We are getting, like, an overwhelming number of comments of people that are frustrated with the reservation system.' CTV News asked whether the mayor's position is related to his desire to eliminate the elected park board. 'We're not pushing this because there's the desire to get rid of the elected park board,' Sim said. 'This is just another example of why we should get rid of the elected park board.' This week, the park board decided not to hear a motion from ABC commissioner Marie-Claire Howard. The motion had called for a return to drop-in access only, but given it wasn't heard, the booking system will survive the summer, at least.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
Secret's out! The once-hidden U.S beach that's now so popular that reservations are needed
The secret is out. A Maryland state park with a beach once considered a hidden gem is now so popular that a reservation system has been introduced. From this Saturday, May 24, visitors to Greenbrier State Park will need to book a day-use reservation for weekends and holidays through Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Last year 504,262 people visited Greenbrier State Park, in the Appalachian Mountains, and lines to gain entry formed as early as midnight, according to with visitors desperate to secure a prime spot next to its 42-acre man-made freshwater lake and white sandy beach. A reservation system has also been introduced for Maryland's Sandy Point State Park, located along the northwestern shore of Chesapeake Bay. In 2024, it received more than one million visitors, its popularity partly down to the one-mile-long strip of sand there that offers views of Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Day-use entrance fees ranging between $3 and $7 for both parks are already in place. However, Tim Hamilton, Maryland Park Service marketing manager, told that "something had to be done" about crowds that sometimes ballooned to a point where they became a safety issue. Park rangers in place to keep an eye on hikers and swimmers ended up being stretched thin as they managed swelling visitor numbers. The Maryland Park Service said: "This new system requires all visitors to reserve their day-use passes in advance during peak times, to reduce overcrowding, limit traffic backups at park entrances, reduce the frequency of capacity closures, and ensure that every visitor knows they have a space before arriving." Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw said: "The goal of this new day-use reservation system is making our parks more welcoming and accessible to all. "By allowing visitors to plan ahead, we're helping families make the most of their time outdoors — with less stress and more confidence that they'll have a great day in our state parks." Reservations can be made up to seven days prior to arriving. The system at Maryland isn't a first, with Lake Tahoe's Sand Harbor State Park introducing a reservation process in April following a trial run in 2024.
