Housing starts may be down, but camp sites are flying off the market fast and furious.
Last Thursday, the online Discover Camping reservation system opened for the season for campers to stake their spots at provincial campgrounds.
According to Environment Minister Terry Lake, Discover Camping saw a 41 per cent increase in reservations over 2011 when the BC Parks system opened March 15.
In the first hour, more than 2,100 reservations were made - which averages out to approximately 35 per minute.
On opening day, Discover Camping recieved 3,970 reservations, compared to 2,815 in 2011. The majority of these reservations were made online at www.discovercamping.ca.
The top campsite picks were Bear Creek, near Kelowna, and Porteau Cove, south of Squamish.
More than 90 per cent of the reservations were made from within B.C.
This is the first year where people have the opportunity to make up to three bookings at one time.
