Ontario Parks has made some significant changes to its reservation policies, to close loopholes that have allowed some campers to abuse the system. New penalties are now in place, ranging from 10% to 50% of the cost of cancelled nights. The highest penalty – 50% – will apply if you book five months in advance and cancel at the last minute.
For highlights of these changes and more, please click on the links below:
Background:
Prior to the 2005 season, an increasing number of campers were commenting they were unable to make reservations at popular Ontario provincial parks, because all the campsites were booked well in advance. However, upon arrival at the park, they had seen vacant campsites. Upon investigation, Ontario Parks found that some campers had been abusing the Ontario Parks reservation system rules. For instance:
Some campers were making reservations with no intention of staying the full number of days they booked. By doing so, they tied up a campsite longer than necessary, effectively blocking other campers from booking it. This practice has meant fewer sites were available for reservations, particularly for long term stays during the busy months of July and August.
In some cases, campers were making several reservations for the maximum 23 nights – with no intention of using them – because there was only a small penalty for cancelling an entire 23-night stay. In other instances, campers with reservations were arriving at the park, but leaving considerably earlier than their stated departure date. These practices effectively denied other campers from making advance reservations.
CAMPSITE RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE & REFUND POLICY
To address the loopholes in the reservation system, Ontario Parks implemented the following changes for campsite reservation cancellations and changes in 2005. These changes represent Ontario Parks’ ongoing effort to respond to customer concerns and ensure good business practices.
Campers who make reservations and subsequently cancel or shorten their length of stay of their reservation before their arrival date will be refunded only a percentage of their camping fees, depending on how long their reservation has been held for them. The following chart outlines the escalating penalties.
How long has your reservation been held from the time of booking? |
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1 month or less |
10% |
No Show |
Please note: A reservation cannot be changed or cancelled more than four(4) months in advance of your arrival date. |
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Greater than 1 month, up to 2 months |
20% |
No Show |
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Greater than 2 months, up to 3 months |
30% |
No Show |
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Greater than 3 months, up to 4 months |
40% |
No Show 1 night + 40% of cancelled nights |
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Greater than 4 months |
50% |
No Show |
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**Campers who cancel their reservation or change their arrival date after 12 noon (EST) on the day of arrival will be charged the “no show” fee.
A “no show” will result in the loss of one night’s campsite fee, plus any date changes resulting in a shorter stay or full cancellation of a reservation will be subject to a percentage refund on the cancelled nights based on how long the reservation has been held.
A minimum fee of $8.90 applies to all changes or cancellations.
Example #1
Booking made on January 13 for arrival June 13:
Example #2
Booking made on April 5 for arrival on June 24
Example #3
Booking made on June 5 for arrival on July 1
If cancelled/changed from June 5-July 1 (noon), a 10% penalty appliesCampers with reservations who shorten their stay after arriving at the park will no longer receive a full refund at the 20 most popular provincial parks. Campers who shorten their stay at all other parks will continue to receive a full refund. Reservation customers will be refunded 50% for any unused camping nights. This policy applies at the following locations:
AlgonquinExample: Let's say you have a campsite for a 5-night stay at Killarney in June. The cost is $25.00/night - but at the last minute, you decided to stay for just 3 nights. You will pay a penalty of $25.00 ($25/night x 2 unused nights x 50%).
The non-refundable reservation fee ($11.85) will continue to apply to all reservations, with a minimum penalty of $8.90 for changes or cancellations.
A $8.90 change fee will no longer be charged to extend a reservation.
a) Prepayment
Effective January 1, 2005, reservations for yurts will be dealt with the same as campsite reservations. All fees, including the $11.85 non-refundable reservation fee, will be required when the reservation is made. A security deposit ranging from $100-$500 will be requested when you arrive (a credit card deposit will be accepted). This deposit will be returned to you upon checkout, subject to inspection of the yurt.
b) Reservation Cancellation/Change and Refund Policy
The reservation cancellation/change and refund policy for yurts will be identical to the policy established for campsites. For more information, please see RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE AND REFUND POLICY FOR CAMPSITES.
c) Late Cancellation/No Show Policy
Late cancellations or changes to the arrival date made after 12:00 noon (EST) will be charged the “no show” fee.
A “no show” will result in the loss of one night’s accommodation fee, plus any date changes resulting in a shorter stay or full cancellation of a reservation will be subject to a percentage refund on the cancelled nights based on how long the reservation has been held. To determine the penalties that will apply, please refer to the chart under RESERVATION CANCELLATION/ CHANGE AND REFUND POLICY FOR CAMPSITES.
ROOFED ACCOMMODATION (Rustic Cabins, Cottages and Lodges)
a) Reservation Deposits
Effective January 1, 2005, reservations for roofed accommodations will require a 50% deposit for the total number of nights booked. In addition, a non-refundable reservation fee of $11.85 will apply. When you arrive, a security deposit ranging from $100-$500 will apply (a credit card deposit will be accepted). The security deposit will be refunded upon checkout, subject to inspection of the accommodations. This policy excludes Algonquin interior cabins with the exception of Rain Lake, Brent and Kiosk cabins.
b) Reservation Cancellation/Change and Refund Policy
If you cancel or shorten a booking for roofed accommodations, a penalty will apply. The penalty will be based on the full value of the number of nights reserved, multiplied by how long the reservation has been held for you. The $11.85 non-refundable reservation fee is not included in the calculation. To determine the penalty that would apply, please see the chart under RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE AND REFUND POLICY FOR CAMPSITES.
c) Late Cancellation/No Show Policy
Late cancellations or changes to the arrival date made after 12:00 noon (EST) will be charged the “no show” fee.
A “no show” will result in the loss of one night’s accommodation fee, plus any date changes resulting in a shorter stay or full cancellation of a reservation will be subject to a percentage fee based on the full value of the number of nights reserved, multiplied by how long the reservation has been held for you. The$11.85 non-refundable reservation fee is not included in the calculation. Please see the chart under RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE AND REFUND POLICY FOR CAMPSITES for applicable percentages. Please note that this policy is applicable for all roofed accommodations and Algonquin Rain Lake, Brent and Kiosk cabins.
a) Prepayment
Effective January 1, 2005, reservations for interior campsites will require payment of the adult per person per night fee, in addition to the non-refundable reservation fee of $11.85. For example, if a 5 night reservation is made at the adult per person rate, the applicable $9.90 per person fee will apply to each night of the reservation. Therefore, the total fee payable at the time of reservation would be $61.35 ($9.90 x 5 nights + $11.85 non refundable reservation fee). The foregoing does not apply to Quetico interior reservations. At Quetico a $100.00 deposit plus the $11.85 reservation fee will be required at the time of the reservation.
b) Reservation Cancellation/Change and Refund Policy
When you cancel or change an interior reservation, the cancellation percentage will apply, based on how long your reservation has been held. This does not include the $11.85 non-refundable reservation fee. Please see the chart under RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE AND REFUND POLICY FOR CAMPSITES for applicable percentages.
c) Late Cancellation/No Show Policy
If your reservation is not cancelled or claimed on the day of arrival your reservation will be cancelled and a “no show” fee will apply. The “no show” fee is the first night’s campsite fee ($27.95 – fee for a campsite without showers and without electricity) plus any date changes resulting in a shorter stay or full cancellation of a reservation will be subject to a percentage refund on the cancelled nights based on how long the reservation has been held. Please see the chart under RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE AND REFUND POLICY FOR CAMPSITES for applicable percentages. Please note that this policy is applicable for all interior reservations (including Algonquin interior cabins except Rain Lake, Brent and Kiosk cabins)) with the exception of Quetico.
For interior reservations at Quetico, the camper will be charged the first night’s camping fee (applicable fee for a campsite without hydro and showers, $27.95) plus the applicable percentage fee on the $100.00 deposit. Please note late cancellations and changes to the arrival date must be made 72 hours prior to your arrival date.
RESERVATION CANCELLATION/CHANGE & REFUND POLICY EXAMPLES
Example – Reservation Cancellation
Three night reservation for period July 1, 2005 to July 4, 2005 booked on February 1st
Shorten or Cancel on or Before |
01-Apr-05 |
01-May-05 |
01-June-05 |
01-Jul-05 |
Will Result in a Penalty of |
20% |
30% |
40% |
50% |
Maximum Penalty Amount |
$17.85 |
$26.78 |
$35.70 |
$44.63 |
3 night booking @ $29.75 = $89.25 |
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Example – Early Departure (from the 20 listed provincial parks)
Reservation customer leaves five nights early. Initial payment of $116.25 (five x $23.25).
Penalty
$58.13 (50%) $58.13 (five x $23.25 times 50%)
Plus $11.85 non refundable reservation fee
Example – No Show
Reservation customer contacts the park at 9:00 am the day following their expected arrival date and advises that they will not be honouring their reservation. Initial reservation payment of $69.75 (three x $23.25) and the reservation has been held for greater than two months, up to three months.
Penalty
$37.20 Refund of $32.55 [$69.75 - $37.20 (one night’s accommodation + 30% of the remaining nights)]
Example – Name Change
Reservation customer requests the name in which the reservation has been made be changed to a different name.
Penalty
$8.90 (minimum penalty) regardless of how long the reservation has been held
CAMPSITE & PARK AVAILABILITY -- **NEW** internet tools
Two new availability tools were added in 2005, to help you decide which park you would like to visit and determine if a particular campsite is available.
Park availability displays potential availability by park based on summarized weekday and weekend use. The site availability feature allows you to see when an individual site might be available during a 6-month window. If you’re looking for a specific park, just choose the location from the drop-down menu and you will be directed to the Park Map Browser. Once there, you can select a campground from the list or map, to see which campsites might be available.
If you would like to visit a new park, you may wish to choose your destination from the map of Ontario. Once you’ve selected the region you would like to visit, you will be directed to a regional map of parks that accept reservations. Click on the park icon to view campground maps.
Ontario Parks also sets aside a minimum of 15% of the total number of sites at a park for customers without reservations. These are available on a first come first served basis.
