A longtime business owner in Hay River, N.W.T., is raising concerns about a new government-funded building going up at the town’s main beach, a place she says has become mostly unusable after floods and fires in recent years.

The territory’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment says that the new facility will replace a beach attendant building destroyed in the 2022 flood. The new structure will be a lifeguard station and picnic shelter, with a stronger foundation to handle future flooding.

But Jane Groenewegen, who owns Harbour House, a guesthouse just across from the beach, says she was shocked to see construction begin last week without any public notice or signs explaining what was going on.

“We didn’t see anything posted. And we’re down here quite often,” she said. “Whenever there’s a development, there’s usually a 90-day appeal period where people can comment on what’s proposed.”

Groenewegen said she’s frustrated that there was no opportunity for public input, especially since many other tourism-related sites in the community still need to be repaired after flooding and fire damage.

She said that while the new building may replace something that was lost, it’s the wrong time and the wrong place for it. She also doesn’t understand why the territory chose a location that has already seen serious flood damage.

“Who asked for this? Yes, it’s replacing something, but the timing is off. The beach is a disaster,” she said. “The beach is just kind of a swamp now that goes from one end to the other.”

Groenewegen said the flooding dramatically changed the landscape. The shoreline has receded, and the sand is now overgrown with poisonous vegetation, such as water hemlock. Dead trees still line the campground.

She said the beach isn’t the only area that still needs attention. At Twin Falls Territorial Park, a major tourist attraction located just outside Hay River, the trails and stairs to the falls remain uncleared since the 2023 wildfires, leaving the site in a rough state and unsafe for visitors.

“Our government always says they’re so hard up … they got no money for capital projects,” she said. “But they got [money] for something that nobody asked for.”

‘We’ve had our difficulties’

Darrell Dean, who owns Castaways Cottages and Campground on the other side of town, says the new building going up at the beach isn’t a top concern for him, but he agrees that there are more urgent priorities in the community that the territory should address first.

“I’d rather see them spend their money cleaning the beach up, because nobody’s going to go there to stay in a swamp,” he said. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Dean says he’s still trying to recover from the wildfires that burned through his site in 2023, destroying trees, campers, and four cabins.

“We’ve been hit with a couple years of COVID, and then … a couple years of flood and then a forest fire. So we’ve had our difficulties,” he said.

Dean said his campground wasn’t insured when the fire hit, because there are no fire hydrants in the area, and coverage has become increasingly complex and expensive to get. Without insurance, he had to cover the cost of replacing everything himself.

On top of that, he says one of the biggest challenges he faces is competing with the territorial-run campground, which offers amenities like wi-fi in certain areas, power hookups, and lower rates. He says private operators like himself can’t match those prices. 

“We can’t afford to put that kind of money on infrastructure and then charge that little amount of money,” Dean said. “The going rate down south … is anywhere from $60 to $125 a night to stay in a campground. We’re well below par on the rates.”

For Dean, offering basic services like power is not financially feasible. He estimates it would cost around $150,000 to install electricity at his campground.

Dean said that the territory’s infrastructure department has supported him with funding in the past, but large-scale upgrades, such as power installations, remain out of reach for private operators, and he’s not aware of any funding program that could cover such high costs.

“[The territory] should be investing money in local tour operators, I think, because it’s a plus for everybody,” he said.

Ongoing municipal issues don’t help either, he said. His road often isn’t plowed or graded, and a flood-damaged culvert still hasn’t been properly fixed, making it hard for large campers to reach the site. He says it took over a decade of complaints to get consistent road maintenance.

PUTRAJAYA: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has issued 13 notices for various offences during 22 enforcement operations conducted nationwide in the first two weeks of this month.

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, in a statement, said that the enforcement operations involved inspections of 180 vehicles, 30 tourism companies, four accommodation premises, and 33 tour guides at several key locations.

It added that inspections were also conducted on entities suspected of operating tourism businesses without valid licences in Perak, based on public tip-offs.

“If convicted, the parties involved can face a maximum fine of RM500,000, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both, under the Tourism Industry Act 1992 (Act 482),” it said.

The ministry also reminded individuals or companies providing tourism services, including transportation, accommodation, or the organisation of tourism activities, either physically or online, to immediately apply for a licence at the nearest state Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry office to avoid strict legal action.

Additionally, the ministry said it will continue strengthening strategic cooperation with enforcement agencies such as the Road Transport Department, police, National Anti-Drug Agency, and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to ensure full compliance with tourism-related laws.

The ministry also welcomed cooperation from the public and industry players to report any tourism activities suspected of violating regulations through the Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA) at https://Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.spab.gov.my/eApps/system/index.do. – Bernama

SINGAPORE: Long queues are taking place at major immigration checkpoints in Malaysia on Saturday (Jul 19) after it reportedly suffered the country’s worst-ever breakdown in the autogate system since Friday noon.

The Star reported that tens of thousands of foreigners were affected, involving more than 200 autogates across the country. However, Malaysian passport holders were able to use the autogates with no issues.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 and 2, as well as Johor’s Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex and Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ (KSAB) were among the entry points affected.