By GORDON DELANEY - Valley Bureau
KINGSTON - The lack of drinking water at some provincial picnic parks could harm the struggling tourism industry, says a Liberal MLA.
The province has no plans to restore water at some parks because of past problems with water supplies, Kings West MLA Leo Glavine said Wednesday.
The Conservative government decision is "lowering the standard" at the provincial parks and will further hamper an already struggling tourism industry, the Liberal natural resources critic said. At a time when "tourism has taken a nosedive across the province," the government should be ensuring the parks meet the needs of visitors, he said in a news release.
"Advancing our tourism industry requires a series of small but significant steps to improve the product," Mr. Glavine said. "I can't think of a more appropriate step than ensuring our picnic parks meet the basic standard of having water available." One of the parks adversely affected is Clairmont Picnic Park near Kingston, in Mr. Glavine's riding.
The Ostomy Society of Nova Scotia planned to hold its 20th anniversary celebrations at the park this summer. But the lack of water supplies has the society scrambling to find an alternative site.
Mr. Glavine called on the Natural Resources Department to "move quickly" to restore drinking water to the parks. "It is completely inappropriate for government-run parks to not have any water sources available." He plans to raise the matter when the legislature convenes May 4.
Natural Resources spokesman Richard Perry said Wednesday that 56 of the province's 126 parks have potable water but that it has been cut off at some smaller parks because of contamination or lack of demand and use. But he said the parks without potable water are meeting provincial standards.