TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – May 8, 2026

A few years ago, on a Sunday morning, I set out with a few friends on a hike to Nicomen Falls in the Thompson Nicola region, not far from my home in Merritt.

It was not the kind of outing where you simply park, stroll five minutes, and arrive. Getting there required intention. A winding drive down gravel forestry roads through thick stands of trees, the kind of narrow, bumpy roads that remind you to slow down and pay attention. Eventually, we parked and continued on foot, following the sound of rushing water until the forest opened up and there it was.

Nicomen Falls does not disappoint. Standing close to that kind of natural power and beauty is both humbling and energizing at the same time. The reward was absolutely worth every dusty kilometre.

At the time, I did not give much thought to the gravel roads that got us there. I grew up in northern BC and have spent much of my adult life in the interior. In both regions, forestry roads were simply part of life. They were how you accessed places. In my world, they led to hiking trails, huckleberry patches, camping spots tucked off the beaten path in the summer, and to Christmas tree “hunting” expeditions and cross country ski tracks in the winter.

They were not infrastructure. They were just roads. And they were part of the culture of rural BC.

However, the more I reflect on that hike, the more I realize that those forestry roads are far more than dusty pathways to waterfalls.

In a province as vast as BC, forestry roads are integral to accessibility across large swaths of our geography. Their core function has always been to support the forest industry, connecting harvesting areas to mills and communities. But over time, their role has expanded well beyond that original purpose.

These roads connect communities that might otherwise feel isolated. They provide critical emergency access routes in and out of remote areas, particularly during wildfire season or extreme weather events. They allow first responders, search and rescue teams, and utility crews to reach places that would otherwise be inaccessible.

In fact, forestry roads are an integral part of provincial infrastructure, winding an estimated 500,000 kilometres across BC. That number is staggering. It is a network that quietly underpins not only resource development, but community resilience and recreational access.

While the BC Ministry of Forests has overall responsibility for forestry roads, it is largely the forest industry that builds and maintains them. When these roads are no longer required for industrial purposes, it is typically industry’s responsibility to deactivate them. In some cases, deactivation occurs because maintaining remote road networks is simply too expensive.

For many years, that model seemed reasonable. Industry built the roads, used them, maintained them, and eventually decommissioned them. But the landscape has shifted dramatically.

Since 2017, more than 35 sawmills have permanently shut down across BC. The economic impact on communities dependent on forestry has been profound. Tens of thousands of jobs have been affected directly and indirectly. Mills that once anchored towns and supported families for generations have gone quiet.The ripple effects extend beyond employment.

With mill closures and reduced harvesting activity, fewer industrial users remain to maintain the extensive forestry road network. Early estimates indicate that more than 125,000 kilometres, roughly a quarter of the total network, are now at risk. Without ongoing maintenance, these roads deteriorate quickly.

Add climate-related damage from floods and wildfires into the equation and the scale of the challenge becomes staggering.

When forestry roads deteriorate or are deactivated, the consequences extend well beyond timber transport. In rural and remote areas, these roads are lifelines. They support emergency response, enable community movement, and provide access to the landscapes that power BC’s recreation and tourism economy.

Forestry roads are the gateways to trailheads, fishing lakes, snowmobiling routes, mountain biking terrain, backcountry lodges, and waterfalls like Nicomen. When those roads become impassable or unstable, operators lose access to product, visitors lose access to experience, and communities lose visitor spending. Investment becomes hesitant when access is uncertain.

Tourism in BC depends not only on natural beauty, but on reliable access and maintained infrastructure. The model that once relied primarily on forestry to build and maintain these roads no longer reflects their broader role. Today, this network supports not just industry, but tourism, emergency management, community resilience, and regional economic development.

If the function has evolved, then the approach must evolve as well.

New ways of building, funding, and maintaining this critical infrastructure must be brought to the table. Cross-sector collaboration will be required. Creative solutions will be necessary. Ignoring the issue is not an option.

Because at the end of that gravel road, past the bumps and the bends, there is often something remarkable waiting.

A waterfall. A trail. A moment of connection with the land.

And it would be a shame if the only thing standing between people and that experience was a road we forgot to maintain

Amber Papou, B.Ed, MBA, ICD.D

CEO, TIABC