CALGARY, AB (August 19, 2016): The NDP should immediately reverse its decision to impose fees on families who enjoy Sikome Lake, so that struggling Albertans can continue to enjoy this great provincial destination, the Wildrose Official Opposition said today.
Sikome Lake used to serve around 200,000 beachgoers and leisure-seekers every year and at no cost, but since the NDP levied a $10 fee to use the lake on families, attendance has plummeted. Up to July 24, only 4,400 Calgarians bought a day pass for the lake.
“This is just the latest example of the NDP nickel-and-diming families. For years, there was nowhere better for an inexpensive day of rest and relaxation than Sikome Lake, but with these new fees, the NDP has managed to take that away from families,” Calgary-Foothills MLA Prasad Panda said. “The numbers don’t lie. People are no longer coming to the lake the way they once did. The NDP has managed to ruin yet another great Alberta institution with their constant need to raise fees and taxes.”
The NDP government has even tried spinning the falling attendance as “good news,” saying the lack of people means those who do go will have a better experience.
Panda said, as always, the NDP only sees what it wants to see.
“The new fees at Sikome Lake are clearly bad news for families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” Panda said. “But as always, if the evidence contradicts their worldview, the NDP will just stick their heads in the sand.”