"Usually we open the last Friday of April, but we decided to try opening earlier and just see if we get any campers in. We're practically booked to full capacity for most of the season, so it's actually tough to increase bookings year over year.

If you drove past the Gas City Campground this morning, you might have noticed something unusual for early April: trailers are already unhooking and campfires are starting to crackle.

In a major shift for local tourism, Medicine Hat has officially moved its camping season up by nearly six weeks. Traditionally, the gates at Gas City didn't swing open until the final Friday of April. This year, the city pulled the trigger on an April 6 opening, and the reason is a mix of changing climate and local demand..."