The tweaks aim to make booking passes to Garibaldi, Joffre Lakes, Golden Ears and Mount Seymour parks more fair and secure
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B.C. Parks is making tweaks to its reservation system in an attempt to boost security and make access to day passes for four popular parks more fair.
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Starting next Tuesday, Sept. 22, anyone booking a day-use pass at the parks will need to create an account on the B.C. Parks website and verify their identity.
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The provincial park service said the updates are aimed at “ensuring a transparent and consistent process for accessing four popular parks during peak season.”
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The preferred way to create a B.C. Parks account is to use your B.C. Services Card, which gives streamlined access to a wide range of government services. (Many people already have a services card that’s linked to their driver’s licence, but they are also available separately to those who prefer one or both.)
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Those without a services card can still use their email and a password.
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Once an account is created, you will get an email to verify who you are. No reservations are allowed until that is done.
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The changes and boosted security aim to reduce interference from digital bots and other ways to game the system.
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The day passes are designed to manage the number of people in Golden Ears, Joffre Lakes, Garibaldi and Mount Seymour parks during peak season. Setting day-use pass limits helps prevent congested parking lots, roads, trails and viewpoints and reduces environmental impacts from overuse, B.C. Parks said.
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Passes are made available at 7 a.m. two days before your planned visit. At Garibaldi Park, day passes are needed at the Cheakamus, Rubble and Diamond Head trailheads Friday through Monday and on holidays until Oct. 12. Passes will go back into effect at Joffre Lakes Park on Oct. 1 and are required every day until Oct. 25.
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To create a B.C. Parks account, go to bcparks.ca/reservations. More information on day-use passes and where and when they are needed is also at bcparks.ca. B.C. Services Card accounts can be set up at id.gov.bc.ca.
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