By Nowell Berg

Op-Ed Commentary

Several Wasa and area residents have commented on the recent closure of Lussier Hot Springs in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park by BC Parks.

The world-renowned springs were 100% natural and free providing year-round enjoyment. The closure has resulted in a beautiful therapeutic oasis being turned into a pile of rock and rubble.

According to BC Parks, “Lussier Hot Springs is temporarily closed to protect public safety.”

Communications from a BC Parks media spokesperson pointed to “retaining wall instability and dislodged rocks within the pool area” as the key reason for the closure.

To my and others dismay, there seems to have been very little warning about the closure decision, particularly having the pools filled with boulders.

Once BC Parks became aware of the “public safety risk” at Lussier, the response was to “immediately” close the hot springs. Email from BC Parks said that filling in the upper pool with rocks from the “damaged retaining wall” was done to “stabilize” the site while geo-technical assessments are done.

Cynical comments I have heard suggest filling in the pools was done to keep people from accessing the hot springs while they were closed, despite fencing installed by BC Parks to keep people out.

Electoral Area E residents who have spoken to me about Lussier are concerned it might never re-open.

BC Parks suggest otherwise. “Timelines and next steps are still being determined,” they said in an email responding to re-opening concerns. Parks personnel are discussing with engineers and stakeholders about opening the lower pools at some point, however, the upper pool will remain closed until it can be “safely reopened.”

The loss of Lussier Hot Springs for the up-coming summer, and possibly longer, makes a day in the mountains a lot less enjoyable.

e-KNOW file photo

– Nowell Berg is a writer and e-KNOW correspondent based in Wasa

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