The Mayor of Ashcroft is hoping the NDP follows through on a BC Liberal election promise to redevelop the McAbee Fossil Beds, east of Cache Creek on the Trans Canada Highway, as a tourist destination.

Barbara Roden says a recent business plan found that the site has enormous potential as a centre for education, research, and tourism.

“Conservatively, they estimated if there was an interpretative centre, a research facility there, we could attract 50,000 people a year. It would just be such a huge driver not only for existing businesses but for anyone looking to set up new businesses, entrepreneurs, housing development – it would just spur so much,” she said.

“I would certainly issue an invitation to Premier [John] Horgan. We will take you to the McAbee fossil beds and show you first hand what the site is and what it could be. During the election campaign, the Liberals said it would take $2-million. We would certainly be more than happy if the NDP were too see their way clear to making a similar commitment.”

The McAbee fossil beds were declared a heritage site in 2012 and closed to the public, before reopening in the summer of 2019 with a ‘Stop of Interest’ sign. The COVID-19 pandemic however meant that plans to open the site in summer of 2020 was halted, but the hope is to reopen it to visitors this year.

The fossil beds are internationally recognized as the most diverse site in the province for plants and insects of the Eocene Epoch from 50 million years ago. Roden adds the redevelopment of the site would be especially beneficial as the area tries to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

“Successive governments have known about this, they know what is needed there, they know what the potential is. We have the business plan and we can tell exactly what is needed,” she added. “We’ll certainly be continuing to push on this one because something like this would be a fantastic stimulus for the whole area.”