May long weekend offers test of reopening plan with golf courses, some parks opening

Some Saskatchewan businesses are preparing for the May long weekend to arrive,as provincial parks are closed to overnight camping but some cabin-goers outside of the northern part of the province are free to travel to their properties.

Saskatchewan Provincial Parks are open for limited day use. People can use boat launches, hiking and biking trails, but gatherings are prohibited.

Tyler Baker,general manager of the Waskesiu Golf Course, said heis looking forward to the long weekend.

The golf course can open on May 16 with some restrictions and started taking phone reservations on May 12.

"The phone lines have not stopped ringing," Baker said. "A lot of people want to get out. They want to get the fresh air. They want to start golfing.

He said the course is following all of the provincial government's recommendations. Food and beverage services have been suspended. Instead, people can bring snacks and non-alcoholic drinksas long as they take away their garbage.

The course has a significant amount of signage encouraging physical distancing, washrooms will be sanitized regularly and touch points will be sanitized regularly. A greeter will meet people and tell them the new guidelines before handing them score cards and letting them onto the course.

"This weekend is going to be a really good test for us," he said. "New to us and new to everybody, but we just want to make sure that we've gone through all the guidelines."

With the new spacing between golf times, the mornings are booked for the weekend but afternoons not fully yet, he said. Baker said it'll be a successful weekend if they can keep staff and golfers safe.

Southern cabin owners asked to limit non-essential trips

The provincial government said cabin owners in areas without travel restrictions can also go to their private properties in provincial parks, but people are being asking people to limit non-essential travel. People with cabins in the north will need to abide by travel restrictions and wait until they are lifted.

Premier Scott Moe previously said talks about lifting northern travel restrictions may happen in the days ahead, but not before the May long weekend.

National parks are still closed to visitors, but Parks Canada said that as of April 1, people with private cabins and cottages heave been able to stay at their properties. However, Parks Canada encourages people to wait.