Blowhole at the waterfront of Xcaret Park near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Toluca on December 24th!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Saskatchewan's Regional Parks

In a comment on yesterday's post, reader Lori Gunter asked about our job here at the park and I think my post wasn't very clear regarding expenses and just how things are run. So I'll provide some clarification here.

We're all familiar with National Parks and Provincial parks...but Saskatchewan is unique in that we also have a Regional Park system.

Obviously the National Parks are run by a department of the federal government. And the Provincial Parks are run by a department of the provincial government. But the Saskatchewan Regional Parks are very different.

There are 76 different parks in the system, and they are all accredited under the umbrella organization. But, they are all independently run, each one with their own volunteer board of directors. They each have independent financial resources, and each park is run just a little bit differently.

All of the parks offer camping, but some have swimming pools, some have golf courses, some are well known for fishing, and others for recreational boating or some other activity. Some are very small, and some are quite large. Some have cabins or cottages that are privately owned on land leased from the park.

Each park board hires their own manager and staff, and the revenue generated by each park stays with that park. So, the financial resources of the parks can be very different.

There are also a lot of different grant programs available to the parks. You have to apply for the grants, and the money can come from many different sources. Most of the grant money is used for capital expenditures or major repairs.

Because each park is run independently, each park manager may be responsible for different aspects of the park. As an example, at the park where we worked the summer of 2013, we were not responsible for any of the reservations or incoming daily revenue. However we also have more summer student help here.

So each park is very independent. They are pretty much an individual business, and run as such, but with a very community spirit. The board of directors are pretty much all local people. There are two people on each board who are appointed by the local Rural Municipality (RM) which is similar to a county government in the U.S..

And because each park is independent, they are also responsible for their own expenses. So, when I was looking at the prices of new mosquito foggers yesterday, the cost doesn't come out of my pocket! Although, we also apply our frugal lifestyle in the day to day operation of the park. So while it's not my money, I try and spend it like it is my money! However, as manager, I would present the facts to the board, along with my recommendation, and they would then vote on the expense. I can use my own judgement up to a certain dollar figure, but for anything major it's a board decision.

So, I hope that clears things up a little bit. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

I was looking at food dehydrators...we're going to buy one of these one day...

Nesco FD-80A Square-Shaped Food Dehydrator

And, on Amazon.ca in Canada...



10 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the clarification. That is so interesting about the regional parks and how they are run. Now everything makes sense :) It's always nice to see people working together for the greater good and I think you end up with a wonderful system that way. Enjoy your summer! P.S. I am absolutely loving all your bird photos.

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    1. Yes, it is difficult for many people to understand the Regional Park system as Saskatchewan is the only province to have them. Glad that we could explain the system to you and our readers, so now everyone should have a better understanding of how it all works.

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  2. We have pileated woodpeckers in our neck of the woods (Washington Cascades). Love their coloring.

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    1. I love the Pileated woodpeckers, they are so pretty and big!

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  3. Also enjoying all your bird pictures!. The only colourful ones I see here are cardinals.

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    1. I can't believe that we have actually become so interested in them. We will never be birders but we do love looking at the different varieties. In Colombia they have 1871 different species of birds. Should be interesting to see what ones we will see when we get there.

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  4. I think it's very prudent to spend their money wisely, too. Keeping expenses down means parks don't have to up their fees every year (or two). Thanx for being careful!

    ps: I call a Pileated Woodpecker, "The Boss," 'cause every other bird scatters when they're around! So great to watch them!

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    1. The more we can save the park the more we will be able to do things to improve the park. The park is a non profit organization so any monies made go back into the park, and yes it will help to keep the fees from going up.

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  5. I had a food dehydrator-I used it a couple of times. After hours of prep work and days of drying it yielded a few sandwich bags full of dried stuff that the kids consumed in a matter of minutes. It gave me a new respect for early pioneers.

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    1. I can understand that! Dried food fruit wouldn't last long with kids around. There are many times that we think this about early pioneers, life is so much easier now!

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