Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Jill Sperling

Parks Closures

Mayor of Clearwater expects closure of Wells Gray Park to be a big hit to local tourism sector

Apr 8, 2020 | 12:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — Wells Gray Provincial Park draws many tourists to the Clearwater area every year.

Mayor of Clearwater Merlin Blackwell is expecting the community to feel the impact of the decision by BC Parks to close all provincial parks until at least May 31.

“Tourism for Clearwater is basically pushing towards $40 million locally,” Blackwell said. “We already have the blow of our European market being shut down at this point until at least July 1, and that is a huge portion, that’s basically 47-to-50 per cent of our tourism in Clearwater. So, we were already looking at a lean mean season as it was if we were going to operate and now it looks like with Wells Gray being the cornerstone attraction in Clearwater, that we may even have more of that season pinched off.”

Blackwell is hoping there will be an opportunity for much-needed work to get done in the parks during the closure.

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He says he has sent a letter to Environment Minister George Heyman expressing his thoughts.

“It just needs funding. Most of the plans have been on the books for years. The standards manual is about a foot and a half thick for BC Parks. We know exactly what it’s supposed to look like, exactly how it’s supposed to get done, it just needs to be rolled out and funded. If that can be done that could be a fantastic way to make something good out of a bad situation.”