By Rachel Fraser
While McBride’s business community didn’t feel the same financial impact as Valemount from the summer’s highway closures, the closure of the Renshaw snowmobiling area last January could be an existential threat to their tourism economy.
The McBride Chamber of Commerce put together a report to show the projected economic impact of the Renshaw closure. “It was a report sent to a McBride business to use for a grant,” said Justina Trach, Chair for the McBride & District Chamber of Commerce, adding that it was rejected by the board of directors administering the grant as inadequate and/or inaccurate data to show the economic loss specifically to the Renshaw closure, without the grant administrator consulting business owners directly.
Nonetheless, based on conversations with visiting sledders and local businesses, the report projects a $3.15M loss this winter for the McBride area due to the Renshaw closure. The report assumed an average of 9000 sledders visiting the McBride area in a season, which the McBride Big Country Snowmobile Association (MBCSA) said is based on a 5 year average, and the Chamber estimated that the average sledder spends $500 per season. They estimated further that 65-70% of sledders avoided visiting last winter specifically because of the Renshaw closure. MBCSA said the 2020/2021 to 2021/2023 season average was slightly more than 12,000 riders. The 2023/2024 season rider numbers dropped drastically to 3500, which they attributed to the Renshaw closure. These statistics are based on daily trail passes sold, according to the MBCSA.
Despite the low snowpack, Trach said these sledders would still have found snow in the Renshaw area and based on their consultations, would still have visited.
Sledders who came out for the annual Bung Bung event, held the weekend of November 22nd, mentioned to Beanery 2 owner Donna Perkins that they probably won’t be back this season unless the Renshaw reopens. She said families will still enjoy Lucille, but the real enthusiasts need something more challenging, which they find in the Renshaw.
“We need that bridge. It’s affecting business big time,” Perkins told The Goat.
She said this November is already worse than a typically slow November, despite the snow that has already fallen. “November is always slow anyway, but we’ve been deadly slow.”
Kilin restaurant owner Raymond Lin remains hopeful that more snow will bring visitors back, though he said the Renshaw being open would really help. “It won’t be worse than last year, I hope. As long as we’ve got snow, people will make it up here.”
Trach is concerned about the ongoing impact from the loss of tourism dollars.
“A dollar not spent in McBride from out-of-town guests can’t be circulated within and from local McBride residents. The circulation of local money eventually runs out,” Trach said.
The MBCSA applied and was granted permission by BC Rec, Sites and Trails, to open up a new riding zone located up the Beaver FSR called Tommy Creek, according to Dave McLeod, MBCSA President.
“We felt it was necessary to have another riding zone in order to entice snowmobilers back to McBride after the closure of the Renshaw Trail and with no clear date of when or if it was to reopen,” McLeod said.
The Association says they’ve received a lot of negative feedback in regards to the Renshaw closure from frustrated riders, many of whom stated the only reason they came to McBride to snowmobile was because of the Renshaw and that it was their favourite riding area.
“Since we announced the opening of Tommy Creek there has been a buzz of excitement from riders about being able to come and enjoy what McBride has to offer but many still say it’s no replacement for Renshaw and want to see Renshaw reopen as soon as possible.”
