Owners of still-open businesses just outside Jasper National Park say patrons have evaporated in the wake of highway closures and the evacuation from wildfire.Mount Robson Whitewater Rafting Co. is usually taking boatloads of people down the Fraser River during the peak summer season. But a destructive wildfire in Jasper and highway closures from Alberta have drastically cut traffic and business.
His rafting business is near Tête Jaune Cache, B.C., about 90 kilometres west of Jasper and seven kilometres outside of the blockade stopping traffic heading east to Alberta on Highway 16. Cinnamon has tried spreading the word by running radio advertisements in Prince George and posting on social media to tell potential visitors they're still ready to float down the Fraser River.Tourism destinations east of the national park are in similar straits.
The public is allowed down the highway to reach the brewery and other local businesses, but not everyone knows that, says Aric Johnson, Folding Mountain's co-owner.