Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About 18 months ago the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment proposed two things: increases to the fees for NWT camping sites and the elimination of full-season camping sites. Not surprisingly, a roar of protest followed. Nobody likes changes and especially not our hard-core, dedicated campers.
In what I considered a good judgment decision, made using common sense, the department put the proposed changes on hold for the 2008 season in order to do some surveying of users and to get some facts, so to speak. The resulting report was comprehensive and recommended that the department proceed with the changes, and that they did this past camping season.
Now that we are, unfortunately, well beyond summer -- look outside -- it's time to assess the impact of these changes. Last week our local paper published an article titled Campground Use Down. The article indicated that the number of camping visitors was relatively close to last year's number, but the number of camping permits was down significantly. There's no doubt that some of this decrease was due to the very poor weather that the Yellowknife area experienced for almost six weeks at the start of our summer, but the decrease in campers must also be attributed to the shortened seasonal site permits -- two months' duration instead of four -- and also to the increase in site fees, a fee increase with no corresponding increase in services.
As I mentioned in a statement on this subject last spring, in order to avoid paying the higher fees, many campers planned to squat for free along the side of the road instead of using our campgrounds. How many campers actually did that during the summer of 2009? Did ITI monitor the situation over the summer? Was the Ingraham Trail inundated with squatters camped out along the shoulders of the road? Were any of these squatters given tickets, warnings or eviction notices?
In June the Minister committed to an evaluation to determine the success or lack of success of the new half-season-only campsite permits and the new fee structure. Has that evaluation taken place? Have campers been surveyed for their input after this season?
The information presented by the paper indicated or suggested that the department may be considering some changes for next year, possibly returning some full-season campsites to the inventory. Is that information correct?
I will have these and other questions for the Minister of ITI at the appropriate time.