The new management team at Cabri Regional Park is ecstatic to announce an extension to their camping season. They are moving the end of their season to October 4th, after camping in the province got off to a late start due to COVID-19. The park is mostly home to seasonal campers, though they attract many visitors from the nearby Sask Landing Provincial Park for their annual boat derby, and provide sportsmen ample fishing spots up and down the river shore.

Reuben and Celine Thompson took control of the park this past spring, after they were approached by some Cabri board members about the possibility of them managing and operating the park. With work being slow in the area due to the pandemic, the two accepted the opportunity and have not looked back as they endured a successful year running the campground.

"One of the biggest things they were looking for was just people to manage, and keep the park up." said Thompson. "We are about 85% seasonal camping here." he added.

The park was gradually re-opening along with the rest of province when they started, as the two took over right in the middle of the pandemic. They obviously got off to a slow start, but were fully open by June 28th. Thompson says they had about three weeks to get to know the park; its general surroundings, daily operations, and cleaning schedules/protocols are just some of the things they had to prioritize as they got comfortable at the park. You may remember that campsites were open to only Saskatchewan residents for a short time, along with only having every alternating site being available. These were just two of the many COVID related obstacles that faced the first year operators.

Thompson also made it a main point to get the parks summer help more involved, a trio of students from around the region.

"One thing we brought to the board when we started, was not having these summer students work the gate checking for passes, instead giving them something to do, like sanding and painting the picnic tables."

Thompson went on to say that it actually gave them something to do during the summer other than be at the guard shack for 8 hours, and he joked that the three could put on a clinic when it comes to sanding and painting. The park's concession also had a successful season, ran by Ryan Scott at his spot called the 'Smoke Shack'. 

According to Reuben, the park definitely needed a little TLC. When playgrounds, campsites, picnic benches, and other public spaces are cleaned , all that's left for the crew is to clean up natures leftovers; a task they jestfully named 'pickup sticks'. The park is home to a few events such as the above mentioned boat derby, and a Canada Day celebration that is a staple in the park.

It's a great time to head to Cabri Regional Park if you, or someone you know wasn't ready to end the camping season. The traditional camping season typically ends after Labour Day, but willing participants will have the option to get at least one more trip in this season.

Check-out their Facebook page, as it is updated often with great information, and content such as this. 

Cabri Regional Park is located just northeast of Cabri on the South Saskatchewan River. It is about 40 minutes away from Swift Current, situated near the river off of Highway 32 between Leader and Swift Current.