With evacuation alert lifted, businesses in Waterton hope visitor numbers will lift too

If you're looking for a Labour Day long weekend getaway in Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park is open for business.

The area was on evacuation alert due to the 860-hectare Boundary Creek wildfire burning south of the U.S. border, and parts of the park were closed to visitors

That alert was lifted Aug. 27, but businesses in the Waterton townsite are still seeing a drop in bookings, Shameer Suleman, vice-president of the Waterton Chamber of Commerce, told the Calgary Homestretch Friday.

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"We've seen a huge slowdown because, I think a lot of people think the park is closed, or because of the Kenow wildfire last year, there's lots of damage and no reason to visit and [that] couldn't be further from the truth," he said.

"The air quality here is probably better than it's been since May. We're enjoying some beautiful temperatures and some beautiful weather."

Suleman, who also owns the Bayshore Inn Resort and Spa and Waterton Glacier Suites, says bookings are way down this year.

"We've been here 30 years and for us every year has been the same, we've been sold out all of July, August and most of September, and this year, this week we're probably sitting about 50 per cent, and that's pretty much every hotel in the park," he said. "I think it's just the lack of people knowing we're opening and there's no damage."

Businesses in the park were hard hit last year as well when the massive Kenow wildfire — which was sparked in B.C. and spread east, burning about 36,000 hectares — forced the park to be closed for several weeks.

Hundreds of area residents were evacuated and as much as 30 per cent of the park was damaged, with up to 70 per cent of the forested area being affected.

As a result, Suleman said visitors should now be able to score some sweet seasonal deals.

"There definitely are bargains to be had," he said. "I have never seen prices for rooms this low in probably 10 years. Because they're all seasonal businesses, everyone doesn't have year-round to make up the money somewhere else, everybody is only open for a few more months."

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