The District of Mackenzie is optimistic its tourism is trending in the right direction.

By Tommy Osborne

Mackenzie Tourism

District of Mackenzie optimistic about tourism growth

Sep 17, 2025 | 4:29 PM

MACKENZIE – In an effort to boost its local economy, the District of Mackenzie is making a focused effort to improve its tourism. This is a relatively new initiative for the community, but the District says it has a lot to offer and is optimistic about the future.

“When I moved here 27 years ago, I was astounded that there was no tourism economy, and that has developed over the last number of years. We have outstanding outdoor recreation, whether it’s skiing or snowboarding at Powder King, fishing on Williston Lake, and now with the development of the mountain bike trails in and around the community, that has brought a lot of people to town,” Mackenzie Mayor Joan Atkinson said.

The development of the mountain biking trails is a move that Atkinson hopes will bring in big returns, as she cited other towns as both a potential guide to success and goal to strive for.

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“The Town of Golden, they bring in $6 million in direct spending from mountain biking. We are just on the starting point, selling our community as a place to come and mountain bike. We have one of the best trails in the province, so it’s something to build on,” Atkinson said.

Given the District is relatively new to both developing and advertising tourism, Mackenzie says it will take time to hit these goals. Because of this, word of mouth will be a key component, and Mackenzie Councillor Andy Barnes says in order to have good word of mouth, you must also focus on developing a good experience for any visitors.

“People come from all over the north, and as you talk to them, they love the trails, so they’re beginning to put it on their radar, and it’s on their program, let’s say for a summer. (They’ll say) ‘we’re going to make sure this summer that we get to Mackenzie an we want to do that trail.’ There’s others in the province, I understand that, but people are starting to include us now in those kind of things,” Barnes said.

Beyond mountain biking, Barnes added the District is also looking to continue supporting existing events, alongside finding opportunities for new opportunities.

“There’s the Morfee Scramble, which is another outdoor event where people run, bike, or walk around Morfee Lake. And then there’s a dance in the evening, outdoor dance and barbecue and all these things. So those are examples of things that we’re trying to do that are special events,” Barnes said.

Atkinson says it has paid off, as she says a new hotel built ten years ago has been busy, also bringing more people to local stores and restaurants, so she, alongside the entire District, is hopeful tourism ramps up as Mackenzie looks to continue finding ways to attract more visitors.

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