National Park Pass (2 year deal for 1 year price)

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Weitz

So 2017 is free for everyone?

Because I bought my new one on the 17th of December not knowing about this and will be livid if I have to pay for 2017 because i bought mine 2 weeks early.

You paid for all of 2016...you haven't lost anything.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Slava

You paid for all of 2016...you haven't lost anything.

Well yes, I could have waited 14 days and got 2017 for free too. But it appears it is free for everyone.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Well yes, I could have waited 14 days and got 2017 for free too. But it appears it is free for everyone.

Its the same thing. If you bought a pass today it goes until the end of January 2018, so I guess you gain the extra month (although then you would've paid entry whenever you went into the park and bought the pass 2 weeks ago).

I really don't understand some peoples negativity here. Are you getting something for nothing if you buy a pass? N. But you get free entry to the park through out 2017, and that is pretty awesome if you enjoy the parks.

The reason the "buy a pass and it runs into 2018" line of thought matters is because when you buy a pass it runs until the following year at the end of the same month. So I know mine renews sometime in the summer. If I renew it in July and it was only good until the end of 2016 (because 2017 is free for everyone), I'd probably not buy the annual pass. Same goes for a lot of people through the year (and as you get deeper into the year this is more likely the case). So by them saying if you buy the pass you still get 2017 for free and then renew in 2018 you still pay for and get a whole year.

[Weitz]

There is no complaint now that I understand how it works.

I was upset initially thinking that I would have to pay for 2017 because I bought my pass 14 days before 2016. But that is not the case.

[You Need a Thneed]

My guess at a clarification is this:

In the calendar year 2017 - everyone gets to use the national parks for free.

If you buy a pass in 2016, it lasts until the same date in 2018, to give everyone the full 12 months of paid value. If you buy one in June of this year, you are paying for the 6 months remaining in 2016, and the first 6 months of 2018.

You won't be able to go get a pass for free in June of 2017 that lasts until June of 2018.

There isn't really extra incentive to get one now - becasue it will last until 2018. If you normally would get one, you will still want to get one.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Wow, I stand corrected. Somewhat silly, IMO, as I think that is one "user tax" I don't mind paying, and I certainly don't mind tourists paying a few bucks to enjoy the parks.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Slava

I really don't understand some peoples negativity here.

My negativity stems from the fact that I already think the national parks are underfunded, and get pissed off when people don't buy a park pass because they feel the lift ticket price at the hill is already spending too much (even though the two aren't exactly related), or they don't want to pay an entrance fee to go hiking. Frankly I think the provincial parks should charge for passes.

It's hard to take that stance when they replace the logo and spend millions changing signs, stationary, etc. Then they cut off a huge source of revenue for an entire year.

At the very least if they wanted to go this route, make it free of charge for Canadian residents so you're still getting money from tourism. Or free for July/Aug. The whole year is absurd.

[ken0042]

Maybe they are making 2017 free if you buy an annual pass? So if you buy today you are good until 2018. If you go to enter the park in January 2017 and need a pass, you can buy one that is good until January 2019.

[Fuzz]

They should offer a free pass to Canadian citizens who apply for one for 2017. I agree that tourists should still pay, especially since they are getting such a sweet deal with our tanking dollar!

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Maybe they are making 2017 free if you buy an annual pass?

No the way it reads it's free for everyone. If you buy one in 2016, the free year is incorporated.

Your way would be yet another better option IMO.

[Hack&Lube]

How about we go and start a militia and occupy the national parks as they should be free forever without interference from the government!

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Slava

Yeah everyone gets 2017 for free, but this just confirms that if you buy a pass through 2016 that your year gets extended into 2018. So if I renew mine whenever that date is (say July) then its good to July 2018. Usually it would be July 2017. Of course you're not really gaining anything here, but you're not losing anything either.

Haha, this is too good. "Buy a pass today!! You're not gaining anything, but you're also not losing anything!! Hurry in today!".

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Haha, this is too good. "Buy a pass today!! You're not gaining anything, but you're also not losing anything!! Hurry in today!".

Where exactly does it say that?

The title of the article is "Free national park passes to mark Canada's 150th anniversary in 2017". Not "Hurry in today this offer won't last forever"

The article basically goes on to say if you have a pass that's valid for part of 2017 you're not going to get screwed over with the overlap.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

My negativity stems from the fact that I already think the national parks are underfunded, and get pissed off when people don't buy a park pass because they feel the lift ticket price at the hill is already spending too much (even though the two aren't exactly related), or they don't want to pay an entrance fee to go hiking. Frankly I think the provincial parks should charge for passes.

It's hard to take that stance when they replace the logo and spend millions changing signs, stationary, etc. Then they cut off a huge source of revenue for an entire year.

At the very least if they wanted to go this route, make it free of charge for Canadian residents so you're still getting money from tourism. Or free for July/Aug. The whole year is absurd.

Yeah I guess, but that seems like a bit of a different issue. I would like to see more parks funding and things like that, but its a cool thing to do for the 150th birthday I think.

Originally Posted by jayswin

Haha, this is too good. "Buy a pass today!! You're not gaining anything, but you're also not losing anything!! Hurry in today!".

I know, its not much of a sales pitch, but it does make a big difference to the bottom line this year I bet.

[GGG]

The funding from the gate of a national park does not go to the budget of the national park it gets put in general government revenues. So the park systems year to year budget is not affected.

So you should get mad that people aren't being recorded as park users or stealing from the government rather than stealing from the park.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Where exactly does it say that?

The title of the article is "Free national park passes to mark Canada's 150th anniversary in 2017". Not "Hurry in today this offer won't last forever"

The article basically goes on to say if you have a pass that's valid for part of 2017 you're not going to get screwed over with the overlap.

This is what is says on their website:

NEW! Parks Canada's 2016 Annual Passes are valid for TWO full years. This is the first step towards celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada's Confederation.

Order now!

[Superflyer]

In case anyone, like me, was wondering. Here is a list of all the parks a pass will get you in to. I also found that it gets you into national historic sites.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/ar-sr/lpac-p...-ndp/list.aspx

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Swarly

so are all the toll booth people just laid off for all of 2017? this would affect 1000's of jobs nationally right?

I do wonder what these workers will be doing for 2017. Can't see layoffs happening but they need to find something for them to do and I would assume they are all union which could complicate matters.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I do wonder what these workers will be doing for 2017. Can't see layoffs happening but they need to find something for them to do and I would assume they are all union which could complicate matters.

Maybe they still have to issue passes...

You just don't have to pay for them.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I do wonder what these workers will be doing for 2017. Can't see layoffs happening but they need to find something for them to do and I would assume they are all union which could complicate matters.

The same people doing the gate work do interpretive hikes, campground programs etc. You could also train them up on trail maintenance and send them out cutting down blow down on back country trails. Lots of very low cost things to have them doing that the parks could use or programming that could be added.

Also I bet they still have a few booths open just to distribute maps, campground and animal info as the booth works as a defacto info center when you first enter the parks.

Hopefully they take advantage of their lower need for labour. Alternatively they might just not higher summer students and just use the full time staff all year.