Waterton Lakes National Park (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Waterton bracing for a busy long weekend

Jul 29, 2020 | 11:51 AM

WATERTON, AB – With a long weekend coming up, many may want to visit Waterton Lakes National Park.

External Relations Manager Christy Gustavison is reminding guests to practice proper social distancing, and to wear a mask where it’s not possible to be two metres apart from others.

“We ask that visitors follow those [health] guidelines and we have traffic control systems in place to manage traffic and keep traffic flowing for the safety of our staff and visitors,” she told LNN.

“We have signage throughout [the park] and some of our visitor centres [are] a kiosk-type situation and we encourage people to phone or email with any questions that they may have.”

Gustavison added that staff are anticipating a busy weekend, with the extra day off on Monday.

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“We encourage visitors to plan your trip ahead of time, and to be aware that at peak periods, parking may be at or close to capacity throughout the park, and to anticipate some traffic delays at popular areas,” she said.

If guests arrive at a parking lot that is full, they’re asked to avoid parking illegally on roadway shoulders or off-road.

PROPER GARBAGE DISPOSAL

Gustavison is also reminding guests to properly dispose of their garbage.

This comes after a food-conditioned black bear was euthanized earlier this month following a number of incidents in public spaces at the park, which were sparked by improper garbage disposal.

READ MORE: Irresponsible human behaviour leads to young bear being euthanized in Waterton

“A great activity to do in the park is to have a picnic or bring a snack along if you’re planning to do a hike. We just ask that you package that garbage up and dispose of it in one of our bear-proof bins. With COVID, please use your hand sanitizer to wash your hands after doing that,” she said.

“If a bin is full, let Parks Canada know, and then take the garbage home with you or to a different bin that is not full.”

FIRE DANGER

Unfortunately, Waterton is no stranger to wildfires, and with hot temperatures expected for this weekend, Gustavison wants guests to be extra cautious.

“Fires are only allowed in designated fire pits at our day use areas and in our campgrounds, and our fire danger is rated high, which means that fires can ignite easily, spread quickly and be challenging to control,” she said.

“Our initial attack crew is on standby, so we are mindful of that situation as well.”

Waterton Park notes that the Townsite Campground is fully booked for the summer and the Belly River Campground is currently closed.