Communities in Robson Valley have been struggling with tourism as highway 16 remains closed to regular traffic

By Tommy Osborne

Highway 16 Closure

Continued closure of Highway 16 gutting B.C. tourism

Aug 7, 2024 | 4:49 PM

ROBSON VALLEY – Highway 16 has been closed since July 22, and the continued closure has left a big impact on communities in Robson Valley. The closure is east of Mt. Robson between Hargreaves Rd. and the B.C. Alberta Border for 60.3 kilometres, and with travellers from Alberta unable to make the trip into B.C., Robson Valley is definitely feeling the pinch.

“All of the businesses have been deeply impacted. People are very understanding, they know that obviously safety is the primary consideration. But there’s also growing questions about when the highway will reopen, particularly for tourist traffic,” said Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond.

Bond said she wrote a letter to Premier David Eby explaining the economic issue the communities are facing and she asked for more supports to be made available. She adds the complexities of the situation aren’t lost on her, as it involves a National Park and a jurisdiction outside of our province, but there are still things the provincial government can do to help.

“I asked him to ensure that his ministers across a number of ministries were aware of the issue. Tourism Minister, for example, the significant loss of tourism revenue. Highways Minister. But also asked that the Premier work to find clarity around a potential highway reopening. It matters to the people of the Robson Valley. He’s the premier for all of British Columbia, and I wanted to make sure that this was a priority for him as well as for me,” Bond said.

While she’s calling on the Premier for action, Bond adds there are things the community can do to help out. Given that tourism is the big issue, she says going to Robson Valley and enjoying everything they have to offer would be a tremendous help for the community.

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“I want to reflect on how grateful I am to the people of the Robson Valley region when they were asked to step up and support thousands of evacuees from Jasper. They did that without question. They opened their hearts. They opened their homes. They opened their businesses. Now they’re facing an impact as a result of this road closure, it’s our turn to support them,” Bond said.

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