If you're hoping to take advantage of the Chatham-Kent Public Library's new Park Pass Packs program, you'll have to get in line.
The inaugural program, which is still in its first month, provides borrowers with a backpack that contains a Seasonal Day Use Vehicle Permit that allows free entry into any Ontario Provincial Park.
In addition to the vehicle permit, the packs also contain field guides to enhance park visits. Those guides are not park-specific, but they are Ontario-specific with information on wildflowers, birds, and animal tracks.
Donna Gaumond, the Children's Services Technician at the CKPL, said the response so far has been "overwhelming."
"The last time I checked, we had 65 holds and we have three kits in total," said Gaumond, adding the packs may be borrowed for seven days and can be picked up or returned at any CKPL branch. "We haven't done this before... the goal behind it is to help increase outdoor activity throughout the year for residents of Chatham-Kent."
If you are interested in signing up to borrow one of the packs, you can join the queue by placing a hold online at www.ckpl.ca. Gaumond said there is no way to book the packs for specific dates -- if you are next in line, the pack will be held for you to pick it up.
Gaumond said the vehicle permits provided in the packs are valid for one year, so when that deadline approaches, officials will review how the program went and evaluate where to go from there.
The packs can be borrowed free of charge, but the late fees are $5 per day.
