By Lisa Schick

New parks proposed for province

Apr 21, 2011 | 7:05 AM

Those looking to vacation in Saskatchewan could have even more choices if the provincial government has its way.

The Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport has identified two areas in Saskatchewan that they propose to make into provincial parks.

The parks will be good for visitors and residents of the areas, said Minister Bill Hutchinson.

“We want to make sure that as many people as possible who want to enjoy Saskatchewan’s beautiful parks have that opportunity. We want to welcome them and we know it will benefit local businesses.

There’s no question about it, there’s a lot of good to be said about that,” he said.

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One of the two areas being considered is an area south of Hudson Bay including the McBride Lake, Pepaw Lake, Parr Hill Lake, Saginas Lake and Woody River sites along with some Crown Land. The other area includes Emma and Anglin Lake sites also with some Crown Land.

“They’re particularly beautiful, they’re in areas where people can actually get to them and enjoy them, and they’ve got some beautiful areas that could benefit from an extra level of protection,” said Hutchinson, on why they chose those areas.

The next step in the process is holding open forums for the affected communities to talk about the proposal.

Hutchinson said they will be speaking with the municipalities but will also make sure to consult with business owners, tourism operators, nearby First Nations and Métis communities and organizations like cottage and property owners associations.

Hutchinson said a big part of the provincial park process is making sure the interests of the park-goers are balanced with the interests of the people who want to keep the spaces natural and green.

If everything goes according to the Ministry’s preliminary plans the consultation process should be finished and a final decision on the parks will be made in the fall.

If the parks are approved upgrades of basic facilities, construction on parking and grid roads will begin in spring 2012 and the parks will be up and running in two to three years.

lschick@panow.com