The province has announced that it will once again offer free entry to provincial parks this Labour Day long weekend.

“Manitoba summers are a wonderful time to get outdoors,” said Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox. “We encourage Manitobans to take the opportunity to enjoy all that our provincial parks have to offer. Late summer is the perfect time to enjoy cooler evenings, comfortable sleeping and the chance to create memories by the campfire.”

Park vehicle permits are not required in provincial parks from Friday, Sept. 2 to Monday, Sept. 5, however, regular camping fees and entrance fees to national parks will still apply. In addition to free entry at provincial parks there will be a variety of special interpretive programming this weekend such as:

  • backcountry caravan tour to the unique bowl-shaped valley of sand called the Hogsback in Spruce Woods Provincial Park;
  • guided tours of historic houses at St. Norbert Provincial Park; and
  • meeting wildlife ambassadors from the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre at Birds Hill Provincial Park.

The Whiteshell Fish Hatchery is open on the long weekend, and the Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary Visitor Centre in Whiteshell is open weekends through to Thanksgiving, offering unique viewing of Canada geese in fall migration.

School teachers are also encouraged to book free interpretive programs for their students this fall in Birds Hill, Spruce Woods and Whiteshell provincial parks. Interpretive programs offer engaging, curriculum-based outdoor learning experiences in natural and cultural environments. For details on interpretive programming, visit www.manitobaparks.com.

Several provincial park campsites, cabins and yurts remain open through the fall, allowing campers to stay as late as Thanksgiving. To make a reservation, or see the full list of campgrounds open in the fall and their operating dates, call the Parks Reservation Service at 1-888-482-2267 or visit www.manitobaparks.com.

Boaters and all watercraft users are reminded that everyone has a role to play in the protection of lakes, rivers and wetlands from the transfer of aquatic invasive species. When leaving a waterbody, it is important to clean, drain and dry the watercraft, trailer and all water-related equipment and dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.