Kakabeka Falls Rip Off

Kakabeka Falls, near Thunder Bay, Ontario used to be a highlight on our trip from southern Ontario to Bible school in Saskatchewan. Right on the Trans Canada Highway, it's billed as the Niagara of the North. It was a great place to stretch your legs and spend a few minutes in the wonder of God's creation.

It has been quite some time since we have stopped there, but on a recent trip to Thunder Bay we decided to take a few minutes to take a look and maybe a couple pictures. To my shock and anger I discovered that you now must pay to park and have a look. They have one of those automated machines and as far as I can tell it now costs $4.00 for an hour. I didn't bother to get out to check so someone may be able to correct me, but as far as I could see $4.00 was the minimum price, meaning that's how much it would cost even for a 10 minute look. We aren't talking about camping or even a whole day. I don't think there's that much to do there. We are talking taking away the privilege of stopping for lunch or for a rest or just for a few minutes to enjoy the sights. What a rip off!

I understand that upkeep of the parking lot and washrooms cost money, but why not just add a little more on to camping fees across the province or something like that? This is the major highway through Canada and people should have the right to see the beauty of this country without being charged for it. It seems to me that they've turned this beautiful spot into a cash cow. What a shame!

Dave