Haida Gwaii hot springs unlikely to return, geologist says

Too much time has passed since hot water disappeared from Haida Gwaii's national park, making it unlikely the hot springs will return, a geologist says.

"It's like somebody coming out of a coma. With each passing day, the chances of them coming out of it lessens," said Glenn Woodsworth, who is preparing to release the third edition of his book Hotsprings of Western Canada.

Since last November's 7.7 magnitude earthquake, the springs have run dry.

• Haida Gwaii hot springs shut off by earthquake

Woodsworth says it's still not clear where the water went.

"When the plumbing system gets broken, as has clearly happened up at Haida Gwaii, then the water has to go somewhere," he said. "And it will either come back on the same route, if the break in the plumbing system is not too severe, or it will find a new way out."

Woodsworth's book will include a section on Hotspring Island, a popular natural attraction in Gwaii Haanas National Park that has been a major tourist draw for decades

In January, hot water was detected seeping out of the rocks near two popular hot pools but the new water source is along the shoreline below the high tide line.

Visitors must now cobble together in a small, make-shift pool so they can have a brief soak between tide cycles.

Woodsworth says he can understand why people cling to hope that the springs will return.

"Honestly, I love the place. You're out there overlooking the water, looking at the whales going by. I think it's magical," he said.