Lake Minnewasta Campground Manager Brian Thiessen and staff are gearing up for Monday morning when the phones start to ring, and online bookings start to fill up for the upcoming camping season. 

Thiessen said they are excited for Monday and have taken steps to improve the process. 

"8:30am, it goes live so you can do it online. We'll have a couple of people answering phones so, we'll be able to get even more bookings in time. I know in the past; it's been an issue trying to get online and get those bookings as well. And then, there's only been one person taking phone calls, so we're hoping to minimize that a little bit, by adding some extra staff on for Monday."  

Thiessen noted, there are peak times that book up faster than others.  

"Canada Day, by far, is going to be a big one. I anticipate Corn and Apple will be a big one again this year. Any long weekend begins to get a little dicey. Take it from me, in the last few years it's gone from 5 weekends booked, to having 13 -14 weekends booked solid, or I would say, even weeks booked solid. That's the sign of the times, where there's more demand than what we have sites for. We're hoping everybody that wants to get a site finds one." 

Thiessen said there are 20 unserviced sites traditionally for tents, there are group sites available without drive pads. lots of water/electric and full-service sites available. 

New this year there are two new yurts available for rent and all you need to bring is food and bedding, Thiessen explained. These soft-sided cabins are great for people who don't own a camper and don't want to tent, these are a great option. 

"Bring your toothbrush, bring a bed roll, bring the food you want to eat, and we'll supply the rest. Each yurt has two bunk beds, so there's doubles on the bottom and singles on top, so they'll sleep up to a family of 6. There's a dining table with four chairs, so you can eat inside. They have power in them, so we'll supply you with a single-serve coffee maker, a toaster, and a mini fridge. On the deck outside, there's a BBQ. The BBQ has a side burner. So, all pots, pans, BBQ utensils, your plates, your forks, your cups, all of that, is supplied." 

The Campground opens May 12th. Yurts can only be booked on the phone and have some booking minimums and maximums. More details and online booking can be found on the Morden website.