SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Campers boycotting Reid Lake campgrounds will be served trespass notices by the territorial government this week for camping on a piece of Commissioner's land near Prosperous Lake.

Yellowknifer visited the area off the Ingraham Trail where half a dozen or so campers had set up shop in boycott of recent changes to camping regulations by the GNWT, according to one couple stationed there Tuesday.

Keith and Rosalie Smith have been camping just off the Ingraham Trail at Prosperous Lake for three years now. They said they've seen an influx of campers on the small piece of land before the Prosperous Lake boat launch and those joining them are boycotting territorial parks, specifically the Reid Lake campground. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Other campers weren't home but Keith and Rosalie Smith said they have have set up shop for the summer season for the last three years on the piece of Comissioner's land.

"Last year, there was only me and one other guy set up here," said Keith. "As you can see there are a lot more this year."

Smith said the land is owned by the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. The corporation employee said he was given permission to camp there, along with the other five campers set up on Tuesday afternoon.

Rosalie said the other campers who joined them this year used to spend their summers out at Reid Lake Territorial Park, but because full-season campsites were done away with this year and replaced instead with two-month blocks for the same $500 price tag, they've decided to set up elsewhere.

"The increased costs aren't affecting us," said Rosalie. The Smiths own a house at Prelude Lake East but like camping at Prosperous Lake. "The others, yes, they are being affected. They all used to camp out at Reid."

When talking about the recent increases and changes to seasonal passes awarded in a ballot draw each spring, she said their fellow campers felt cheated out of reasonably priced camping.

"They just said to hell with that, you don't get power or any wood," she said. "People are definitely boycotting."

Vaughan Slade, communications co-ordinator for the power corporation, said it didn't appear the company even owned the land at Prosperous Lake, much less had given permission to people to camp there.

"From what I found out it seems we don't own, lease or have any right to any land there," Slade said Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, Slade called back to say Power Corp only had an agreement to use the dock there for company business. "We have no authority to permit anyone to use that land."

Beverly Chamberlin, director of lands administration for Municipal and Community Affairs, said Wednesday the people there are camping illegally, and the department will be issuing trespass notices to all of them.

"We'll require them to vacate immediately," she said. If campers don't vacate within five days of the notice, Chamberlin said her department will seek legal action to have them removed.

Kevin Todd, Industry, Tourism and Investment's regional superintendent for the North Slave region, said the situation at Prosperous Lake wasn't of concern to his department. He added that he understand people might not like the changes to extended-stay camping policy this year, but they were made for a reason.

"What we try to do is create opportunities for people to camp," Todd said. "I'm sure there were some people who preferred the former system. We are trying to create equity between people who are paying the 22 bucks a night and the people who are staying extended stay for eight bucks a night."

The department reported there were 33 campers at Reid Lake on Friday and 29 on Sunday, including reserved sites and 13 extended-stay campsites.

On a day trip out to Reid Lake over the weekend, Smith said the campground was almost empty.

"There were a few tenters and a few trailers," she said. "You could have counted them on one hand."

The Reid Lake campground has 59 sites available during the summer. A Yellowknifer editor was also at Reid Lake over the weekend, where only a handful of campsites were seen to be occupied.

ITI also recently placed large boulders at a popular off-road camping and gathering site on Cameron River, blocking vehicle access to the area. Dragana Beronja, communications manager for the department, said the boulders were placed there because camping in the area is not allowed.