Parks Canada's plan to charge you for parking, locking

If Parks Canada gets its way, all vehicles entering the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site will be charged to park there starting in the spring of next year.

Sharon Ostberg, superintendent of Parks Canada’s Northern Ontario Field Unit, is also calling for fees for all boats using the recreational locks.

Ostberg is asking Sault Ste. Marie City Council to support the new charges, which she says are necessary to meet Parks Canada’s revenue objectives.

“As an agency, Parks Canada is able to re-invest 100 percent of the revenue back into the sites that have generated the revenue,” Ostberg says,

“Failure to meet revenue targets will result in reduction of services or closure of some facilities.”

Ostberg intends to start a public consultation process in January, with the new fees to take effect next spring.

Opposition expected from U.S. tour boat operators

“Like in previous years, when we had introduced the lockage fees we anticipate opposition from the American tour boats owners with respect to the Curtis Act.

“The results of a legal review of the Act states that, under the current operational circumstances of the lock, the Act does not present a barrier to charging lockage fees, primarily due to the recreational lockage activity of the new lock.”

Last year, 2,863 lock passages were recorded, consisting of 1,629 tour boats, 1,153 recreational vessels and 81 government or commercial boats.

The total number of passengers who went through the locks last year was 108,231.

From May to October, an average of 458 vehicles visit the site each day.

City Council is expected to consider the request on Monday night.