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MayLife's a BeachMay 17, 2005 at 12:33 pm AST by Rodney MacLeodSummer is almost here and hoards of people will be flocking to the beaches. Some will go to the free provincial parks, others have their own private beaches, and most will be going to the national parks. One thing people constantly mention is why do we have to pay to go to the beach? It is too expensive to go to the beach. Islanders should not have to pay to go to their own beaches.
The price for a family or car load of people is $12.50 for one day, or $63 for a seasonal pass. A car load of 4 people would come to less than $4 a person. Five trips to the beach and your pass pays for itself. There are not many places in Cavendish or PEI for that matter, where a person could for some fun for under $4. Mini golf cost $6 or $7 and that only takes an hour. A trip to the movies cost $7 or $8 dollars which is at most three hours of entertainment.
You get a lot for that $4 dollar trip to the beach. You get clean bathroom facilities, parking, a life guard, clean beaches, outdoor showers. A spot that my friends and I go some time in Tracedie is a nice beach to go for free. Except you have to park along a dirt road, there is only one port-a-potty for a bathroom, the places is frequently used for partying and usually has quite a bit of garbage and broken bottles with no one paid to pick this up, there is a strong current that comes right up to the edge of the beach, and there is no life guard.
There are also a lot of provincial parks that have great beaches and clean facilities that are available for free. Basin Head is one of the best with great facilities. Chelton beach near Summerside and the bridge has a life guard on duty. Canoe cove, although not a provincial park, is free and has good swimming high tide or low and is close to Charlottetown.
Yes, we have to pay to go to certain beaches on PEI, but the ones you pay to go to are worth the money. If you still do not want to pay the money to go to a beach there is hundreds of kilometres of beaches on PEI that are free of charge.
Posted by Derek MacEwen on May 19, 2005 at 9:20 am ASThttp://peiblogs.comThe national park sells a family pass for just $32, if you buy before June 24. It's $63 after that. Buy them at Ardgowan or Province House. If you go three times, you've paid it off! They don't advertise it much, but I emailed them last week to confirm that they still have it. It's great to be able to drive on through on a busy beach day.
It is also handy to loan to the relatives when they come to visit. It comes on a plastic hanger so you can transfer it between vehicles.
Votes for best free beaches: Basin Head, Blooming Point, Chelton, West Point, Panmure Island (if it wasn't totally destroyed by the storm), Twin Shores (if that road to the west of the campground has not been shut off again).
- Derek M
Posted by Glasseyerod on May 19, 2005 at 11:27 am ASThttp://www.glasseyerod.comThanks for that Derek. I was thinking about getting a pass. Now that I know they are only $32 I am getting one for sure.
Posted by Derek MacEwen on June 15, 2005 at 6:00 pm ASThttp://peiblogs.comUpdate:
They're about to raise the daily rates to $15 per family:
http://pei.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=pe_parks_20050615
Anyone reading this is reminded that they can still buy a family season pass for just $32.
Visit the park twice, and you've almost paid for it! They're available at the old price at Ardgowan and Province House until June 23rd.
Added bonuses: no waiting in line on busy days, and loan them to your visitors, as they can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle.
