New winter activities announced at Castle Parks

LETHBRIDGE –  For the first time, visitors to the Castle Parks will be able to enjoy a variety of new outdoor activites and courses for free or at a low cost, according to Environment Minister Shannon Phillips.
 
“The family-friendly activities are just sort of an extension of our Parks Budget, so there’s been a small amount of new funding here. A couple of million dollars.”
 
Those activities and amenities include three new winter warming huts at Syncline, Beaver Mines Lake and Castle Bridge, new snowshoe signed trails in Syncline, Beaver Mines and West Castle, new fat-bike trails with winter grooming, a new 750-metre skating trail loop at Beauvais Lake campground, and regular cross-country ski grooming.
 
Phillips says there will also be a number of outdoor courses which will start in January at Beaver Mines Lake.
 
“Learn how to make a snow fort, and some of the winter survival skills that are pretty basic to being a Canadian. There’s also learning to ice fish, which is another low cost activity out at Beaver Mines Lake.
 
“[It’s] super close to Lethbridge, Pincher Creek and the Pass as well. So it makes a great day trip.”
 
And if some people are interested in some of the activities, you can sign some of the equipment out for free through the ‘Library Loner’ program.
 
“So for some people who have never been outside cross-country skiing even might be a little bit intimidating. But snowshoeing is pretty easy. But even if you don’t have the equipment, you can get it for free at the library at Pincher Creek and in Crowsnest Pass.”
 
For more information on the activities and updates on trails and conditions, go to http://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/south/castle-pp/ .