The future of Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park is becoming more secure.
The park will be open for overnight camping this Summer even though there are vacancies that aren’t accounted for.
Mayor Tom Laughren is praising the MNR on their decision to allow Ivanhoe to continue to operate despite the original agreement that would have only allowed the park to remain open if all camping slots were filled.
Laughren showed he was ready to do just about anything to make sure this park stayed open after the announcement came in 2012 that it was one of 10 parks the province was going to close to overnight camping.
FONOM president Al Spacek says the community and park users really grasped on to the “use it or lose it” message.
Spacek says this announcement shows what can happen when municipalities, local stakeholders, and the provincial government come together and share responsibility.
Now the park is considered to be financially viable to the MNR.