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.

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