Lonely Planet – Mackenzie, B.C.
Wandering around the downtown yesterday landed myself inside a rather busy Indigo bookstore. Whenever I’m in an Indigo/Chapters I have a routine route I take. I’ll wander the new releases (trade/paper/hard), move through the ‘theme’ tables, then meander upstairs the the ultra ‘no-one-would-pay-normal-price’ discounted publications. This is followed by a stop at the travel section. This particular branch of Indigo didn’t stock the infamous LP Afghanistan (I saw a copy in Riga, Latvia a few years ago) but it does have LP British Columbia/Yukon .
I remember reading somewhere quite awhile ago a lament regarding the very unflattering description given to Prince George by LP writers in a previous edition so I was curious to see the description in this latest edition. The editors, probably acting upon loads of PG hate mail, have apparently revamped the description, opting instead to focus on the rich First Nation history of the area in lieu of the detailed description the areas pulp mills .
My hometown, Mackenzie, also makes a paragraph in the book. Not surprisingly though, the majority of that paragraph is dedicated to the Mackenzie Tree Crusher .
The Tree Crusher…is…well…unique…in its own way. It is definitely a conversation piece and it probably does drag the tourists in with it’s name alone. Obviously, as a landmark (or a item in general) its not really keeping with the times…and it’s probably not really what one would like in the Lonely Planet which (love it or hate it) is the definitive independent international travel companion. No mention of the amazing easily accessible alpine of Morfee Mountain or the award winning snow of Powder King. Nope…the international image of Mackenzie is a giant machine that pushes over mature timber and grinds it into the forest floor.
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24 Jan 2010 11:32 am Bryan 12 comments
Kind of sad, isn’t it? Mackenzie is the best kept secret in the world as far as tourism is concerned. They’ve got so many outdoor adventure destinations that people should be flocking there for the hiking, canoeing, trail rides, fishing, hunting, mountaineering, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, camping, fresh air, and clean water. If someone could figure out how to get the word out to the world, post-mill Mackenzie could be saved!
Tourisms a tough industry though, especially when a community is isolated. Distances are far, bus opportunities limited and I suspect that there would be hostility toward any kind of Rocky Mountain-style large-scale tourism. Macktown has a new tourism development plan out and it places and emphasis on branding and also building relationships with the region (PK, Mcleod Lake, Chetwynd etc.) but tourism really remains fringe industry at the moment with some outfitters doing well with their set of clients but not much of a secondary support industry has grown out of such entrepreneurial activities. Tourism is also one of those industries where one is literally competing against the world. As a traveller, my destination options include 181+ other countries, each with it’s own unique features.
I think tourism is an important component of diversification, but I’m skeptical about it’s ability to become an keystone of a northern economy. The region has the goods, it just doesn’t really have the infrastructure. Mackenzie is in a real tough bind for options. My dad mentioned something about a coffee roaster trying to set up shop in the old Finning building. Apparently it fell through, but I think that is where the town needs to be heading…some real different industries moving in…ones that are not dependent upon a staples economy or subject to the whims of flip-floppy international toursit market. How could they get stuff like that? No idea…
I’ve always thought that it has been rather daring (and alright……. red neck) for Mackenzie to continue to advertise and promote the tree crusher in this world of political correctness, environmental concerns and conservationists. Even though it should be embarassing for us (and maybe is for some) I’m glad we have it. I remember being appalled at first when they moved it into town from 39 mile, but now it’s just there and I really hardly notice it. But every spring, summer and fall and even a few times in the winter, I see people stopped there, taking pictures, climbing around it and picnicing beside it. It does draw a few tourists and even some are better than none in these tough times.
I really think the tourist market lies in the European traveller……someone seeking untouched wilderness etc. Selfishly I’m secretly glad that we don’t get the crowds. I love being able to walk 5 minutes from my house and see wildlife and untouched snow. I often see more moose on my way to work than vehicles and just today we had a deer on the soccer field at Mac 1.
I agree that the Tree Crusher shouldn’t be removed. It’s a good magnet, but I think that it should probably be deemphasized in favor of other attributes. I’ve always felt that Morphee Mountain Road should be upgraded to increase accessibility into the alpine. Nothing too fancy as the existing road is quite good…just grade it, fill in some pot holes and create a large parking space at the top. There are few places that offer such sedentary access to mountain environments
yes – we went up to the top of Morfee last summer and had an awesome day of alpine hiking. It was a pretty hairy ride up and back though……..lots of washouts.
That road just needs a bit of work. Well, it might need more, I’m not an engineer.
Another attribute that is often overlooked is the fact that Mackenzie sits on the edge of a vast wilderness. True wilderness for its own sake has an appeal for some people and is probably in increasingly short supply worldwide.The wilderness here just is. It is not protected in a park and exist because it is remote and rugged. In a twenty minute walk from my back door I could be standing on ground that nobody has ever stood on before. North of Mackenzie the Muskwa Ketchika protected area has been called the Serengeti of North America because of its wildlife populations particularly ungulates and wolves
Today that nutcase Suzuki is calling for 50% of the BC landbase to be conserved to reduce global warming. This will just be another bureaucratic nightmare. We already manage the forests on a sustainable basis. These guys are idiots
I was just wandering through that area via GoogleEarth looking at some of my old stomping grounds in the Oslinka, Bear Valley and Factor Ross. That area is massive. The Globe just had a piece on tourism opportunities in BC and mentioned the Great Northern Circle Route…Mackenzie was left out.
Suzuki, I believe, has forgotten the important role that forestry can play in sequestering carbon, not only in new forests, but in forest products as well. If a forest needs protecting as a carbon sink, it’s not ours…it’s the forests in South America and Russia.
As soon the road between Ft St James and Mackenzie is upgraded we will be on the tourist cicuit
Is this connection to have an ashphalt surface?
No asphalt but the road will be what is called “all weather” ie: a very good gravel surface. The road will be used by logging trucks and ore trucks from the Terrane mine