By Rob Gibson
While BC Parks opened its camping reservations site Monday morning, few people have been actually able to book a site.
A Castanet reporter has tried, and failed, to book a site for the past 90 minutes, but the Discover Camping portal is crashing repeatedly. Numerous other Castanet readers have reached out to say they have been unable to get through.
"Annoying experience and so disappointing that a government website is so useless!" said one reader.
Social media is also full of B.C. residents frustrated with the situation, likely caused by heavy web traffic.
Bc camping website ππ€¬π©
— Cam Mitchell (@CamMitchell4) May 25, 2020
BC Parks Website Camping Reservations = pic.twitter.com/25mryAfQvJ
— Tom Teotico (@tomteotico) May 25, 2020
I love BC camping for the views β€οΈ pic.twitter.com/4exMmQg3FR
— ππΎπππβ― β΄ (@Owen722549) May 25, 2020
Who could have predicted that BC Park's Discover Camping website would have been unable to handle the amount of web traffic it would receive this morning? π€ #bcparks #bcpoli
— Jordan Ross (@JordanRossMedia) May 25, 2020
I think the #bcparks website is being run by my 5 year old daughter who is currently asleep! ππWe'd love to go #bccamping! @GeorgeHeyman #campingbc @CBCVancouver pic.twitter.com/nLabNUkHy1
— Jane-Ann Kay (@KitKatJAK) May 25, 2020
BC's Discover Camping reservation system is failing hard right now. Had a plan, got up early, logged in and spent more than an hour hitting website error after error after error and still haven't been able to make a single booking. Boo! #BCparks pic.twitter.com/nfFYc0wunZ
— Steven Godfrey π (@itcaughtmyeye) May 25, 2020
I have never hated a website as much as I hate BC Parks' camping reservation site right now. pic.twitter.com/MEmXPyHAHj
— Jen Stewart (@fixbced) May 25, 2020
When the BC Cannabis site didn't crash on legalization day, you could hear the glee in the minister's voice.
— Shannon Waters (@sobittersosweet) May 25, 2020
Guess the BC Parks site didn't get the same level of attention. Given camping is about the only summer getaway many will get this yr, seems like poor planning https://t.co/ND1owsWfbi
Here’s a realization I never thought I’d have...
— Alexis Sheridan (@alexisroyston) May 25, 2020
In 2020, nabbing a camping spot on the BC Parks website is akin to scoring a “first weekend of Coachella” VIP pass. π€―π§
There were supposed be some happy campers in B.C. today as many campgrounds across the province are prepared to open June 1, reservations open on the Discover Camping website today at 7 a.m. Bookings can be made on a rolling two-month period, so as of Monday, reservations can be made up to July 25.
B.C.'s provincial parks were temporarily closed because of a lack of physical distancing during the pandemic, but many have reopened.
BC Parks website says, "to ensure physical distancing, you may notice some changes in campgrounds, including additional spacing between campsites and limitations on the number of guests in campgrounds."
Access to campsites is limited to B.C. residents for the entire 2020 season but not all sites will open and some will open with reduced capacity.
Non-B.C. residents with a previous reservation can contact the BC Parks call centre for a refund before June 15. Non-B.C. residents who try to make a reservation after May 25 will have their booking cancelled.
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