The Jasper wildfire is having long-lasting impacts on the region.
Already, the tourism industry in the Valemount and McBride areas is feeling the pinch and that’s also trickling down to Prince George, with fewer visitors coming to the city because their route through Jasper National Park has been cut off.
Valemount was along the escape route for 25,000 people forced to suddenly leave Jasper on the night of July 24 when fire enveloped the town. That sudden crush of travellers, many of whom left with only a few personal possessions and the clothes on their backs, put a serious drain on the resources of that Robson Valley town.
The shelves are bare at the Valemount Food Bank and Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond has sounded the alarm over social media channels that they need some help with donations.
In response, a group of concerned Prince George residents, headed by Hell Yeah Prince George Facebook moderator David Mothus, have organized a food bank drive for Valemount and are asking people to bring food items to the bins at all four Save-On-Foods supermarkets in Prince George this long weekend.
The collected food will be driven in a truck to Valemount the following week by Wood Wheaton Supercentre. Food bank donations are also being accepted at the Wood Wheaton car dealership at 2879 Highway 16.
Everybody who contributes to the bin at the dealership will be eligible to win one of four Robson Valley whitewater rafting packages.
The list of suggested donations includes: fruit packs any kind, granola bars, canned fruit/canned veggies, canned (chicken, ham, tuna etc.), juice boxes, baking ingredients, mini-size shampoo/conditioner, menstrual products, toothbrushes/toothpaste, female shaving kits (razor and soap) and contact lens solution.
If you’d rather donate your drink containers to the cause, Prince George Recycling & Return-It Centre at 2614 Petersen Rd., will also collect customer donations, Aug. 9-11, to raise money earmarked for the Valemount Food Bank.
“That’s one thing we can do immediately, is fill the food bank,” said Mothus. “They’ve been left a little drained and this is a super-simple thing to fix.
“Later, when everything reopens, then they get back to the point where they say, send us tourists, then we’re going to do the caravans and get everyone to take planes, trains and buses to Jasper to spend money. But in the meantime, the food bank in Valemount is the pressing priority and they reached out to Shirley.”
Bond has spent time in Valemount since the Jasper evacuation and knows how vital the summer tourism season is to local businesses there and along the Highway 16 and Highway 5 corridors.
“One of the things we are noticing already is the significant drop-off of visitors and tourism in the Robson Valley region. Let’s all do our part to help share the information about what is open and how we can support communities and local businesses during the critical summer tourism season,” said Bond in her Facebook post.
“Highway 16 remains closed from Mount Robson eastbound, but the Mount Robson Visitor Centre, the restaurant, the store and most trails are open. Many campgrounds in the area are open and the Kinney Lake trail is open. Whitewater rafting is also available and are in need of enough customers to keep guides working.
"Our communities rely on a strong year-round tourism industry. We can help by supporting them and sharing information.”
