Jan 30 - BC camping takes a price hike

Good morning !

Our provincial parks are so beautiful, so wondrous that each year, they draw more than 27M visits. That’s like every BC resident going four and a half times.
It makes for some serious wear and tear on our parks’ infrastructure and ecosystems.
To pay for the upkeep, BC Parks is raising the overnight price to stay at some of them by more than 40%.

Happy Friday.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

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NEWS

Camping fees going up, non-BC residents to pay $20 surcharge

The province is increasing the overnight fee by an average of $13.62—and hitting up out-of-province campers and visitors with an additional $20 flat-rate surcharge.

The parks ministry points to an increase in the number of park visitors and the effects extreme weather has on infrastructure.

“To manage this growth and further invest in park services, the Province is updating camping fees for the first time in more than a decade,” it said in a release. 

Prices to camp at 59 popular frontcountry parks across the province and four popular backcountry parks—including Golden Ears near Vancouver—will increase for the summer season starting June 15.

BC residents will pay, on average, an extra 40 cents per night during shoulder season and an additional $13.29 per night during the summer.
That will bring the average nightly rate to $30.81 in shoulder season and to $42.91 during peak season.

The non-resident surcharge takes effect May 15 and will apply to visitors from outside BC staying in frontcountry campgrounds, visiting backcountry parks, renting a cabin, and using mooring buoys and docks.

“Updating fees in the busiest parks helps ensure the entire system remains safe, well‑maintained, and able to support the growing number of people who rely on camping as an affordable way to connect with nature,” Jamie Cox, spokesperson for the BC Lodging and Camping Association, said in a release. 

The number of people visiting BC parks has increased by 30% over the past six years, the ministry said. On average, the parks attract more than 27M visits each year—15% from out-of-province visitors—which affects trails, day-use areas, and related infrastructure.

“At the same time, floods and wildfires have caused widespread damage to facilities and infrastructure, driving the need for significant repairs and ongoing reinvestment to keep parks open, safe, and accessible,” the province said.

Fees at 388 frontcountry (within one kilometre of a park road or highway) and backcountry (more than one kilometre from a roadway) parks, which offer paid camping but are not considered high-use, will remain as they are. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Blanshard construction: Lane closures and traffic disruptions between Pembroke and Caledonia through Feb. 6.

Cook construction: Bay to Maplewood bikelane pre-work runs until Feb. 6.

Saanich road closure: Near 4150 Birtles, today, 8am-4:30pm. 

Saanich single-lane alternating traffic: Wesley between Claremont and Catalina, today, 9am-3:30pm.

Temporary delays on Galloping Goose near Atkins in Langford.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Critically endangered Garry oak ecosystem plant seeds to be preserved

We live in a place unlike any other.
Seriously—Garry oak ecosystems, among the rarest in BC, are predominantly found on the South East Island, from Victoria to Nanaimo, and the Gulf Islands. These meadowlands can’t be found in other Canadian provinces.

They’re also increasingly fragile, with only 5% of the original Garry oak ecosystems left on the Island. Climate change, invasive species, and urban development continue to threaten them.

To ensure we don’t lose the rest, a new seed bank has been created to store native plant seeds from these precious meadows. 

The project was born out of an online workshop in February 2024 and grew into the idea for a seed bank, now a multi-partner collaboration that includes the Nupqu Native Plant Nursery, the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, UBC, the Botanical Gardens, and the Coastal Douglas-fir Conservation Partnership (CDFCP), administered by the BC Conservation Foundation.

“A clear goal and direction came, and that was to protect the genetic and species diversity of BC’s native plants,” says Stephanie Woods, program manager with the CDFCP. 

She says seeds from rare and culturally significant plants will be collected and preserved in off-site cold storage. The cold storage, or seed bank “hubs,” will be duplicated in two locations: the Nupqu Native Plant Nursery and the UBC Botanical Gardens, to allow for backup in case something happens to one site. 

Woods says the hope is to prevent species extinction, to preserve their genetic diversity, and to provide a seed source for potential restoration of degraded landscapes. This, in addition to maintaining Indigenous harvest areas and sustaining biodiversity in the face of future catastrophic events. 

The team also has the long-term goal of developing a database and working toward data sovereignty with Indigenous Nations involved, a process that will be ongoing and take time, says Woods. 

Read the full story here.

This story ran for our Insiders on Jan. 25. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🏒 Victoria Royals host Red Deer Rebels tomorrow at 6:05pm.

🧑‍🏫 Glenlyon Norfolk School empowers students to lead with confidence. Attend an upcoming Open House to see how IB learning and belonging shape extraordinary futures.*

 🚵 2026 Langford Bikefest presented by Westhills registration now open.

🐳 RBCM exhibit now open: See Critical Distance, an immersive augmented reality experience following a Southern Resident orca. 

🎻🖊️ Constantinople: Bach and Khayyam tonight at First Church of Christ, Scientist.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Developer duo proposes new downtown inn for former Plaza Hotel site
The lot has been vacant since a fire swept through the century-old hotel and Monty’s strip club in spring 2019. Ocean Gate Developments tells CHEK it has sold the property to two Victoria-based companies: Redbrick and Aryze Developments, which plan to partner to build a new hotel. Ocean Gate’s desire to build a 12-storey hotel didn’t get off the ground because Victoria’s OCP has a five-storey limit in that part of town. [CHEK]   

VicPD says surge in overdoses connected to veterinary sedative
There were 15 known non-fatal overdoses in the city in a 24-hour span this week, the police service said. Some of the medical events were believed to be tied to medetomidine, a veterinary sedative that is being mixed with opioids like fentanyl. The BCCDC put out an alert Monday about a provincewide spike in overdoses linked to the sedative. It can cause prolonged unconsciousness and may reduce the effectiveness of administering naloxone, health officials warned. Substance UVic, a drug-checking service on Cook, says it found medetomidine in eight samples over the last four weeks. [Times Colonist]

Friends of Dorothy to take a break: ‘This is not goodbye’ 
Known as one of the city's premier 2SLGBTQ+ venues since it opened in 2021, the restaurant-bar hosted popular drag performances—because life is a cabaret. A social media message from “the Wizard” says ownership is taking some time off “and shaking up what we are doing. We believe change is a good thing every now and then…” FoD’s hiatus leaves the Vicious Poodle, just down Johnson, as Victoria’s lone 2SLGBTQ+ venue. [Black Press] 

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🗓️ Things To Do

🎺 Rachel Therrien's Latin Jazz Project: Trumpeter Rachel Therrien offers a festive repertoire of original works and Afro-Latin jazz classics, grooving to the lively rhythms of Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and Haiti. The Coda. Tonight. 6:30pm. [Info]

🇬🇧 Spice Wannabe: The Spice Girls Tribute: The USA's premiere Spice Girls tribute show brings Girl Power to Victoria with five-part harmonies, original choreography, iconic costumes, and all the hits. McPherson Playhouse. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🆗😆 OK, DOPE Game Show! An improv game show combining the fun of improv with the competitiveness of a game show, as three comedians go head to head, testing their skills. The Mint. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎻 UVic Symphony Orchestra: Nobles, Smetana, Schumann: Journey through vivid musical landscapes from operatic drama to symphonic grandeur, featuring Rossini, Jordan Nobles, Smetana, and Schumann. The Farquhar at UVic. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

☎️ Mini Mariner Mornings: Waves of Communication: Explore communication from telephones and telegraphs to signal flags through crafts, games, and real-life artifacts from the museum collections. Maritime Museum of BC. Tomorrow. 10-11am. [Info]

🎨 Remnants: An Art-Exchange Exhibition. An open-to-everyone art show where artists bring an overlooked or unfinished piece from their own creative life and install it in the gallery. Once placed, artists choose another participant’s remnant to take home. Ministry of Casual Living on Fairfield. 1-4pm. [Info]

🪦🎶 Funeral Songs 2025: Covers in a Dangerous Time's annual tribute marking the passing of influential musicians in 2025. Hear the music of Brian Wilson, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Cliff, and more. The Coda. Tomorrow. 6:30pm. [Info]

👐 Avram McCagherty Quartet: Founder of the Stomp Club presents a quartet of jazz masters deeply rooted in traditional jazz whilst forging new ground with hard-swinging rhythms. Hermann's Jazz Club. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🍁🦘 Canadian Steam: It's Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets The Thunder from Down Under in this flannel-fuelled night of improvised songs, sketches, dance numbers, and cheeky Canadian charm. McPherson Playhouse. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: Saanich to borrow $93.4M for new ops centre; VicPD offers cybercrime prevention to area businesses; Pattison Group says it didn’t know about ICE connection. [Jan. 29]

BC’s attorney general discourages ICE deals, with a potential Pattison sale pending. [CTV / CP]

Langford medical clinic to open Feb. 9; will serve 12,500 patients. [CHEK] 

Meantime… Saanich is considering tax exemptions to establish non-profit clinics. [Times Colonist]

Overdose advisory in place for Greater Victoria. [Island Health]

2026 VIATEC Awards are April 1: Tickets and nominations here.

Constructing the Parliament Buildings: See the early building stages in 1893. [Facebook photo]

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