Gray Creek Pass closed, rated “most important back road in B.C.”

Tom Lymbery of the Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce points to the now closed Gray Creek Pass.

According to Russell Musio of the Back Road Map books, the Gray Creek Pass is rated as "the most important back road in B.C., if not in Canada."

Much to the chagrin of Tom Lymbery of the Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce, the prospects for reopening this important connection between the East Kootenay and Kootenay Lake seems very doubtful these days. The pass was hit hard by mudslides, sinkholes and debris from this year's record runoff. 

"The Gray Creek Pass is closed completely because of slides and subsidences - the first time in the 22 years of this, the only direct route between  East and West Kootenay," said Lymbery. "This road was constructed in 1989-90, jointly funded between Forest Service and Highways provincial departments. Forest Service has had to carry all the load for maintenance, replacing all the wooden bridges with excellent cement ones. They also spent $80,000 in upgrading the western side in 2011."  

Lymbery went on to say that this is a most important tourism resource route and business is suffering because of the closure, especially because it closes the Trans Canada Trail westward from Kimberley. Unfortunately there are no records of usage by Europeans, who Lymbery said seem to know more about this than locals. He said cyclists have arrived in Gray Creek having come over the Pass from as far away as Spain!

Several major slides on the Redding Creek road as well as other slides and subsidences on the west side require at least $120,000, as reported by the B.C. Forest Service. Tina Zimmerman, an engineering technician for Selkirk Forest District, is the source for this estimate as she has made at least eight trips to investigate, but the Redding Creek slides have prevented a trip all the way. This has also prevented cyclists from making it through.

It is very discouraging having such an important road closed because when it first opened over 20 years ago it was billed as a major economic benefit to commerce and tourism, Lymbery added.

Lymbery and the Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce are encouraging all interested parties to contact their MLAs, MPs, mayors, city administrators, tourism officials, B.C. Forest Service officials, Regional District representatives and others to help move the reopening of this important transportation corridor forward.