B.C. tourism industry braces for wildfires impact
“Business-wise, the summer is looking steady. We were looking forward to seeing people who came for the first time last year and loved it, and now, here’s this.”
Yolanda Dye
Business owner
Just as B.C.’s tourism industry began its long road to recovery from the COVID19 pandemic, it faces a new challenge with more than 300 wildfires burning across the province.
Less than two weeks ago, the bigwigs of B.C. tourism, from the provincial minister to the CEO of the B.C. Hotel Association, were encouraging people to safely explore the province as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
Many operators of businesses related to tourism are now bracing for the impact of highway checkpoints, road closures, evacuations and potentially shortened or cancelled travel plans due to the spreading wildfires.
On Sunday, the resort community of Sun Peaks was asking visitors to stay away to support any evacuation orders due to wildfires.
Officials say 132 addresses in the Whitecroft community near Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality have been evacuated due to a blaze that covers about 1.5 kilometres.
Brandi Schier, a spokeswoman for the Sun Peaks’ emergency operations centre, says firefighters from the resort town are helping crews from the B.C. Wildfire Service battle the Embleton Mountain fire.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has also issued an evacuation alert for residents of nearby Heffley Lake, and Schier says that covers 156 addresses.
A total of 12 evacuation alerts and nine evacuation orders are currently in place for the region that is home to the village of Lytton, which was nearly destroyed by a fastspreading fire on June 30.
Schier says there are no alerts or orders in effect for Sun Peaks, but only residents are being permitted to enter the destination that is popular among tourists.
“We’re just asking that people put a pause on those plans right while the situation is taken care of,” she says.
“We were evacuated yesterday,” said Yolanda Dye, coowner of Cahilty Creek Bar and Grill and also Capones Italian Restaurant, which opened last winter, at Sun Peaks. “I feel safe. The community has been amazing.”
“Business-wise, the summer is looking steady. We were looking forward to seeing people who came for the first time last year and loved it, and now, here’s this,” she said, referring to the wildfires.
“Everyone is in good spirits and we’re rolling with it, and trying to make sure staff feel safe,” said Dye, who had been focused on balancing returning traffic with securing enough staff to keep up after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions at the beginning of July.
“I’m hopeful,” she said.