Parks Canada “strongly encourages’’ Islanders to limit their use of the P.E.I. National Park.
“All Canadians are being asked to stay home and not visit the National Park,’’ Megan Damini, media relations for Parks Canada, said in an email Thursday to The Guardian.
Vehicle access to the park has been suspended, and parking lots and many roads are closed.
Damini said people living in or around the P.E.I. National Park can access the park on foot.
Use of the trails, beaches, facilities, boardwalks and green space is also being discouraged.
“Those who choose to access trails on foot must obey all signage and closures,’’ she said. “They must follow the advice of public health experts on physical distancing. They must be conservative in their choices to avoid injury and minimize any need for emergency response and they must leave no trace.’’
On Friday, March 27, the P.E.I. National Park closed the following roads until further notice — Wild Rose Road in Greenwich, Dalvay Crescent in Dalvay, Terre Rouge Lane in Oceanview and Grahams Lane from the entrance kiosks to the Cavendish Beach parking lots in Cavendish. It also placed a ban on parking anywhere on the North Shore.
Then, over the following weekend Parks Canada said there were issues on P.E.I. and across Canada of people ignoring the restrictions, parking where they’re not supposed to, visiting in groups and not following physical distancing.
So, more restrictions were put in place.
Gulf Shore Parkway is closed to vehicle access in two sections — between the Brackley gate and Covehead Harbour (Brackley-Covehead) and between Winter Road and Ross Lane Beach (Dalvay-Ross Lane). Gulf Shore Parkway West is also closed to vehicle access between Cawnpore Lane and Cape Turner in Cavendish.
During these temporary closures, access to the Covehead wharf will be maintained for local fishermen.
Parks Canada said it will enforce these rules.
“Any vehicles found to be in violation of closures in the P.E.I. National Park, including parking lots and road closures, can be towed at the owner’s expense,’’ Damini said.
