KANANASKIS – Alberta Parks has had to deal with some crappy issues in provincial parks over the weekend.
Thousands of people headed to Kananaksis Country this weekend, where facilities such as toilets, picnic shelters, warm-up huts and winter camping are closed to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This weekend we noticed garbage, used tampons, diapers, and even human waste next to our facilities," states Alberta Parks. “Help us keep parks clean. Whatever you take in, take it back out."
With grizzly bears coming out of hibernation, there are also fears of the bruins getting into garbage.
The provincial government says provincial parks have been extremely busy as Albertans get out to exercise and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.
"While on the trails, practice social distancing,” pleads Alberta Parks.
Playgrounds are also closed in parks.
“Think twice before letting children use our playgrounds,” according to an Alberta Parks Facebook post.
The Kananaskis Country public safety team continues to ask for cooperation from backcountry users to choose outdoor activities that are low-risk during the COVID-19 response.
“Users should choose activities in areas that support emergency access and present minimal challenges and/or hazards,” according to the public safety team.
“Backcountry assistance has the potential to add unnecessary stress to the health care system, put public safety staff at risk, including to exposure to COVID-19, which could then impact resources to support search and rescue.”
Alberta reported an additional 33 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday (March 22), bringing the total number of cases in the province to 259. There are now two confirmed cases in the Canmore area, with Banff still reporting none, according geospatial data on the provincial government's website.
More to come on this story …
