Joffre Lakes Park reopening to the public as First Nations, province reach agreement

More than three weeks after two First Nations abruptly closed public access to one of the busiest provincial parks in British Columbia, the province says an agreement has been reached to reopen Joffre Lakes Park to the public on Sept. 19. 

The Lil'wat and N'Quatqua announced on Aug. 23 they would shut down the area, north of Whistler, until National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30, adding that they were asserting their title and rights to their shared, unceded territory to harvest and gather resources.

Now, the nations and the province say regular public access to the provincial park will resume on Sept. 19, with the exception of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, according to a Thursday news release from B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, which manages B.C. Parks. 

"The Nations will gather on the land that day and the park will be inaccessible to the public," read the statement.

Visitors will require free day passes until Oct. 9, according to B.C. Parks, and the back country camping season will end on Nov. 13.

The Lil'wat Nation and N'Quatqua said the agreement is a welcome development as they seek to preserve the cultural significance and purposes of the park, known as Pipi7iekw.

"The Nation will continue to guide discussions to ensure that Pipi7iekw is being used in a matter that is consistent with our values and those of our ancestors," said Lil'wat acting chief Chris Wells in a Thursday media release.

"Pipi7iekw continues to be a spiritual place for our people and one that can support our Nation rebuilding efforts."

Permanent plan still needed, says province

The nations' concerns about about access to the park have grown as the destination has exploded on social media in recent years, sending 196,000 people to the area in 2019 alone.

That prompted the Lil'wat Nation and N'Quatqua to develop a visitor use and management plan with the province in 2019, and B.C. Parks implemented a free day pass system to limit visitors in 2021. 

But the Nations said the province didn't respond to concerns they raised about traffic and litter over the summer before the communities decided to close the area themselves in late August.

B.C.'s environment minister says the agreement on Thursday is an example of the province's "strong commitment to reconciliation" but there is more work to be done to manage the park with the Nations and for the public.

"As our talks continue, we are all in agreement that we must continue predictable public access, while also giving time and space to heal the land to ensure Nations can use this space as they always have," George Heyman said in a Thursday media release.

The nations and the province will meet regularly into the spring to build "a plan for park access, park management, and cultural protection for future camping and recreation seasons," according to B.C. Parks.