First Nations frustrated with duration of Joffre Lakes Park closure
Two First Nations are concerned with a newly announced month-long closure of one of B.C.'s most popular provincial parks, as they say it is only a fraction of the dates they had asked for.
The provincial government announced Tuesday that Pipi7iyekw/Joffre Lakes Provincial Park will be closed to recreational visitors between Sept. 2 and Oct. 3.
But that's not as long as the Lil'wat Nation and N'Quatqua First Nation, on whose unceded territories the park lies, had requested.
Dean Nelson, political chief of Lil'wat Nation, said it's "disappointing and disheartening" that the province did not honour the nations' request.
"This is not reconciliation," he said. "This is a continuation of colonial decision-making, you know, disregarding our needs and values on the land."
WATCH | Popular B.C. park to close temporarily:
Joffre Lakes Park closing for much of September
9 hours ago
Joffre Lakes Park will be closed to visitors between Sept. 2 and Oct. 3 this year. The province says the closure will allow the park, in B.C.'s Sea-to-Sky region, to recover from a busy summer. The closure is intended to provide time and space for local First Nations to reconnect with the land, carry out cultural and spiritual practices, and recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Last year, Joffre Lakes Park was closed for 60 days, according to the province, and in 2025, B.C. Parks has agreed to close the park for a total of 68 days.
"The [nations] requested 103 days of closures, beyond what we felt able to accommodate while supporting continued public use," the Environment Ministry said in an emailed statement.
The Lil'wat Nation and N'Quatqua had asked for a closure between Aug. 22 to Oct. 23 to reconnect with the land, conduct ceremonies, gather food and medicines and allow the park to rest, according to a joint statement from both nations.
The ministry says, however, that the posted closure schedule "balances cultural practices, conservation goals and public access to the park."
B.C. Parks began requiring free day-use passes to access Joffre Lakes during peak times in 2021, and in 2024, it cut the number of day passes issued from 1,000 to 500 to address overuse.
In 2021, before day-use passes were required, Joffre Lakes saw an average of 180,000 annual visitors.
Nelson said the crowd management has gotten better but added that doesn't mean traditional values are being upheld.
"It is still management of, you know, [an] amusement park kind of thing," he said.
"It is other people's values that they have to come and, you know, be seen and take their selfies there. So, again, the values are not being honoured on an equal level."
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