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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Although the official numbers aren't in just yet, initial estimates show campgrounds in the North Slave were pretty busy this past season.

Lisa Tesar, who along with business partner Lona Collins were contracted to run Fred Henne Territorial Park this past camping season, sits at the entrance of the park last Thursday. Tesar said the season was one of the best she's seen. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Tracy St. Denis, the North Slave regional superintendent for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, said there was about a six per cent increase in usage at the three territorial parks in the region.

She said the increase in people camping in the North Slave can be attributed to more families getting into the activity, more companies in town selling recreational vehicles and campers, and Mother Nature.

"Our weather was amazing. We had a phenomenal summer," said St. Denis.

Recent improvements to the Fred Henne, Reid Lake and Prelude Lake campgrounds were made for this past summer season.

"By adding showering buildings (at Reid and Prelude) and, most recently, Fred Henne got a really nice changing area at the beach, people are seeing that the parks are offering more amenities," said St. Denis.

"That, I think, has added to peoples' experience using the parks."

The new shower buildings at Reid and Prelude cost $300,000 each. Previously, the campgrounds didn't have the facilities. At Fred Henne, the change room at the beach area was moved and improved for a cost of $100,000.

St. Denis said the department has seen a steady increase in numbers at the parks over the past few years. This year, she is expecting the solid numbers to come in at more than 12,000 visitors.

"To a certain extent, we're also seeing a rebounding of the economy in the south. At this point, I can say that our parks contractors, specifically Fred Henne, have indicated that they've seen an increase in people coming in from down south, so that would have contributed as well," she said.

ITI contracted Lisa Tesar and her business partner Lona Collins to run Fred Henne Territorial Park.

Tesar has done the job for five years and said this year was "amazing."

"Mainly a lot of the improvements that ITI has been doing to the park is all sort of coming into fruition," she said.

She said there are a lot of community groups involved in the space, such as the Yk Volleyball Association, which hosted tournaments most weekends.

"We had a lot more families coming out now, and our day use area, which is essentially the beach and the main area beside the boat launch, numbers were up by about 35 to 40 per cent," said Tesar.

She said a series of cultural interpretive programming put on at the park's cultural grounds was extremely successful. The park put on 19 presentations during its first season.

Tesar reiterated the fact that there are more opportunities to purchase trailers in the city, bringing more people out to the park.

"We're seeing a lot more families camping together, a lot of people who hadn't been before, to go to Prelude and Reid lakes," she said.

The 2012 park season introduced a multi-park day-use pass for the North Slave region. For $50, users gain unlimited access to all day-use areas at Fred Henne, Prelude Lake and Reid Lake. The numbers have yet to be tallied for how many people purchased the passes, St. Denis said.

"Definitely there were a few used," said Tesar of what she observed at Fred Henne.

"There are the people that favour the parks they like to go to. It wasn't a large number of the multi-parks passes sold. There's enough to hopefully have these passes available in the next few years."

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