Slight decline in tourist numbers
Forest fires and resulting conditions blamed for slump
Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, October 16, 2014
DEH CHO
Forest fires and the conditions they produced are being blamed for a slight downturn in the overall seasons at the three territorial parks in the region.
Coral Falls is one of the tourist draws at Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park. That territorial park was the only one of the three in the Deh Cho to have more visitors this year than last. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo
|
"We did see a decline in the numbers in the Deh Cho of approximately 10 per cent from 2013 to 2014," said Mike Mageean, the regional superintendent for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Although the data is preliminary and still needs to be finalized, Mageean said there were approximately 1,600 visitors to Sambaa Deh Falls, Blackstone and Fort Simpson Territorial Parks last year compared to roughly 1,470 this year.
"We attribute the decline in the visitation to road closures and smoky conditions resulting from the forest fire activity that was experienced in the North and South Slave regions," he said.
Many tourists like to follow the Deh Cho Travel Connection, the branding name for the route that loops in from the Alberta border and follows Highway 1 through the Deh Cho and Fort Simpson and then continues on Highway 7 past Fort Liard and into B.C., said Mageean. Closures on Highway 1 as the result of forest fires this summer affected that route. Visitor numbers from Yellowknife were also affected because of closures to Highway 3.
One park proved to be an anomaly. Early figures are showing that visitation to Sambaa Deh Falls Park increased by approximately 10 per cent.
The park, located on Highway 1, was closed last year between July 19 to Aug. 16 due to nearby forest fires. The department thinks the resulting morel mushroom harvest this year in the burned area contributed to the increased use of the park.
"We also think that it's an extremely popular park," Mageean said.
Because it was closed for a portion of last year, people wanted to come and revisit it, he said. Lady Evelyn Falls Territorial Park beside Kakisa was closed this year from June 29 to July 18 because of nearby forest fires. The department didn't have numbers available to show the effects of the closure to the park, which they consider to be in the South Slave region.
Approximately 80 per cent of the visitors to the Deh Cho's territorial parks are from south of the NWT border. Many Canadians, predominately from Alberta and B.C., come to the parks along with Americans from across the U.S. who often stop at the parks on their way to or from Alaska, Mageean said.
Some tourists are also from Europe, primarily Germans and Scandinavians.
"They really like our parks," he said.
"We have some of the finest park facilities in the country in terms of scenery and esthetics."
The department does have several upgrades planned for two of the Deh Cho parks.
A new washroom and shower facility is currently under construction at Blackstone and should be ready for next summer. Landscaping and site development has also been completed for a new kitchen shelter that is expected to be built next year.
The department is also planning a mid-life retrofit of the visitor and manager building at the park.
At the Fort Simpson Territorial Park the playground equipment may be replaced next year.
