The Burns Lake Visitor Information Centre has seen a dynamic shift in the number of tourist in the month of August which might have recovered some loses from July.
In the month of August, there were 389 visitors in Burns Lake, however 85 were locals.
“We had a huge influx in visitors over the four day centennial celebrations which in turn increased some dollars into the community that may have been lost in July,” Chief Administrative Officer at the Village of Burns Lake Sheryl Worthing said.
The month of September may be challenging and the visitor information centre is unsure how the current wildfires will affect tourism.
“We are still feeling the affects of the wildfires,” she said.
According to WeatherCan, there is visible smoke in the region over areas near Babine and Takla Lakes.
“Visitors who are visiting Burns Lake are often concerned about clean-up crews and fire flare-ups. The visitors continue to inquire about any fires in the area,” said Worthing.
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has evacuation alerts on Wells Creek, Tekaiziyis Ridge and Pinkut Lake.
At present, the Burns Lake Visitor Information Centre has no overall data to know how much the village earned through out the centennial celebrations.
“We do not currently have any measurements to provide these answers,” Worthing said. “It would take us some time to research potential metrics that fit our situation. If we found metrics – we could apply them to our data and make an educated guess.”
Worthing did mentioned that the Burns Lake Centennial and Lakes District Fall Fair has helped to increase tourist in the community.
“I believe the centennial celebration and the fall fair are two big wins for the community,” said Worthing.