Recreation Groups Unite Over Renshaw Closure - A Provincial Issue with Provincial Impacts
The McBride Snowmobile Association, along with five other local organizations, has signed a joint letter to Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar under the banner of the Robson Valley Recreation Groups. The letter highlights ongoing concerns about the closure of the Renshaw riding area, a situation that has now stretched on for months and continues to expose a much larger problem across British Columbia.
At the heart of the issue is a bridge into Renshaw that has been given a zero rating by the Ministry of Forests, effectively cutting off access to one of BC’s most iconic sledding destinations. You can revisit our initial coverage of the closure (HERE) and our most recent update HERE. While this is a serious blow to McBride’s sledding community and local economy, it is far from an isolated case. Across BC, resource roads are not being maintained or funded to the level required to keep rural communities, industries, and recreation groups moving.
Resource roads are more than industrial infrastructure. They are public corridors that connect people to managed recreation areas, tourism economies, and places where government has already invested significant taxpayer dollars. When those routes fail, the impacts ripple through entire communities - from businesses and jobs to public recreation opportunities.
What makes the Robson Valley Recreation Groups’ letter powerful is its unity. These are diverse organizations with different interests, but they share common values and needs.
At the local level, snowmobile clubs like McBride are working tirelessly to represent their communities. At the provincial level, the BC Snowmobile Federation has been raising this issue with government for years, calling for sustainable investment in BC’s resource road network (HERE). These concerns are not ours alone; they were recently echoed by other recreation groups and by the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC during the 2026 Budget Consultation (HERE). The message is clear: protecting public recreation access requires long-term policy change and dedicated funding across the province.
During the April 9, 2025, budget estimates debate, MLA Donegal Wilson (Boundary-Similkameen) and Official Opposition Critic for Water, Land, Resource Stewardship and Wildlife Management questioned Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar about the budget allocated for maintaining BC’s forest resource roads. You can read our coverage of that debate HERE.
If riders and outdoor enthusiasts believe access matters, now is the time to make it known. Speak to your local MLA. Support your local clubs. And remember this issue when it comes time to vote. Real change happens when we speak with one voice. By standing united, we can make sure government decisions reflect the values of our communities — and that this issue cannot be ignored.
Support Land Access Advocacy
If you would like to support the ongoing land advocacy work of the BC Snowmobile Federation, we encourage you to contribute to the RideOnBC Land Access Fund. Your support helps ensure that the voices of riders, clubs, and rural communities are heard in government, and that the future of recreation access in BC remains a priority.
