By Angela Hill

Good news for weekend campers

Jul 22, 2011 | 12:02 PM

The parks north of Prince Albert are getting back to normal after storms swept through earlier this week.

Murray Point campground at Emma Lake and Sandy Bay campground at Candle Lake are open and ready for campers.

“We are still doing quite a bit of clean up from the tree falls and the blow downs that occurred July 19,” said Kelly Kovar, park area manager with the Prince Albert park area for the provincial parks.

Power losses did cause a depressurization of the water system, so there is a precautionary boil water advisory at both sites, he said.

However, with the power back on at Murray Point as of 5 p.m. Thursday night, the water is running and facilities functioning. Kovar said he hopes the boil water advisory will be lifted sometime next week.

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There is good news up at Waskesiu as well.

The main beach at the Prince Albert National Park townsite has re-opened.

“Everyone can get back in the water and enjoy summer on Waskesiu’s main beach,” said Pat Dunn, external relations manager with the park.

Swimming was closed at the beach after the storms caused an overflow at one of the sewage lift stations. The closure was a precaution and after changing weather conditions with wind and more rain, it became safe to swim, she said.

“Following that we were very confident that any overflow that had taken place would have been gone, would have been flushed out of there, so we opened the beach for swimming.”

Park crews are still at work clearing trees from the townsite and trails, but all facilities are open.

“So there’s lots and lots of work today and crews are out there doing it, but everything is open and it looks like there is some nice weather happening. Blue skies anyway here in Waskesiu right now,” Dunn said.

She said she recommends checking the trail report, if people are planning to get into the backcountry.

ahill@panow.com