Joffre Lakes Park closed to recreational users until May 16

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 7:13 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, adjacent Pemberton, B.C., volition beryllium closed to recreational users from April 25 until May 16, according to the B.C. Parks website. 

B.C. Parks said the three-week closure volition springiness the Líl̓wat and N'Quatqua First Nations clip to link with the land. 

A akin closure was announced astir the aforesaid clip successful 2024, arsenic the result of an statement betwixt the state and the First Nations. That agreement was made aft a month-long closure successful 2023, brought connected by a conflict around the park's nationalist use. 

Líl̓wat Nation Chief Dean Nelson said successful 2024 that the parkland country is ineffable to his community.

"By implementing these closures, we are striving to reintroduce our assemblage to an country wherever they person been marginalized," helium said. "The clip and abstraction created by these closures volition let our youth, elders and each Líl̓wat citizens to practise their inherent rights portion reconnecting with the land."

When the parkland reopens to the nationalist connected May 17, adults and younker implicit property 12 volition person to person a day-use walk to sojourn the park. Reservations tin beryllium made online starting astatine 7 a.m. PT 2 days earlier you program to visit. 

B.C. Parks is informing radical readying to sojourn Joffree Lakes that the parkland is inactive experiencing wintry conditions, and to program for crystal and heavy snow. Micro spikes oregon snowshoes are recommended, arsenic wintertime could instrumentality astir done May and June.