This will be the second year Katie Baird and her husband are giving people the opportunity to rent their RV. It began as a way to give back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our whole lives we’ve really enjoyed camping and always thought it was such a great family experience making so many memories that you’ll never forget,” said Baird.
“We had our trailer and don’t use it continuously for the entire summer,” said Baird. “So, we thought why don’t we open it up and see if we can rent it out to others and give them that opportunity to build those memories.”
The demand to rent the RV was so high, Baird said they have three RVs now — all ready to be rented this year.
“It’s really kind of taken off,” said Baird. ” It’s so rewarding because even when I was a small child I came from a family that couldn’t afford a trailer. So, I always wanted to be able to have that experience when I was little. And what’s so neat about it is that we’re making it so that people are able to have that RV experience without having to actually have the financial means to acquire the RV.”
When asked if the rising gas prices has affected the number of people renting this year, Baird said it’s actually busier than ever and the number of people renting her RVs hasn’t slowed down.
But, that’s not the case for everyone. At Campland RV Resort bookings are getting cancelled due to the soaring prices at the pumps.
“It really slowed the amount of reservations on the campground,” said Wesley Bearg, Campland RV Resort Owner. “We had three residents from Manitoba cancel because of the fuel prices. They said they couldn’t afford to travel so it’s not looking very promising for the summer.”
Bearg said his campground can comfortable hold 138 RVs. But, currently only has 38 staying with him right now. He said rising gas prices are keeping people away and hopes those living near by will consider local campgrounds like his this summer.
“Our only hope really is that we have more local people,” said Bearg
With rising costs, Baird said she has noticed that it’s keeping people closer to home.
“So many people are staying here in our own province and exploring,” said Baird. “Just exploring Saskatchewan, which maybe wasn’t happening as much before.”
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