Plans to redevelop the long-shuttered former Provincial Park at Holyrood Pond into a park for RVs appears to be afoot again.
This week, the Department of Environment reported the registration of a proposal to construct a recreational vehicle park with a day park at Holyrood Pond in Gaskiers, which is located on Route 90, in St. Mary’s Bay. The proposed site is 23.5 hectares in size.
The deadline for public comments is August 26, 2022. Minister Bernard Davis’ decision on the application is due by September 4, 2022.
There have been a number of attempts since the closure of the park to reactivate the former campground or convert it to an RV park. Holyrood Pond is the largest inland body of water on the Avalon Peninsula. Holyrood Pond was among a number of provincial parks closed by the Liberal government in the 1990s as it dealt with a huge financial crunch in the wake of the cod moratorium and the fallout of heavy borrowing having been done by the government it replaced.
The people behind the latest proposal, Frank and Rennie Tobin, plan to rename the park, Serenity Shores at Holyrood Pond. It would contain more than 32 sites for RVs, motorhomes, trailers and caravans, as well as seven small cabins and 22 “glamping” tents. There will also be five outdoor portable bathrooms and a boat dock for canoes.
The development will be conducted over five phases in as many years, according to the document filed with the Environment Department. The proponents estimate the construction will employ two to 10 workers , and once open, employ anywhere from one to six workers depending on the amount of business during the tourist season.
