The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) has denied a Terrace-area tourism company’s proposal to continue using its acreage for a heliskiing operation.
White Wilderness Heliskiing has been operating on the Skeena River Lodge property just north of Usk since 2016, offering luxury heliskiing adventures to high-end clients.
Located in the Agricultural Land Reserve, the Skeena River Lodge was approved by the ALC in 2010 as a fly-fishing operation for 8-10 guests annually between March and November.
According to the ALC decision, when the property changed hands in 2013, it consisted of a log principal residence, detached garage, two storage sheds (one of which was later converted to a smokehouse), a fly-tying shop, a guest house, a guest cabin, and six seasonal cabins.
At that time, all of the existing buildings had been approved for the seasonal fishing operation.
Sometime between then and 2020, the new owner, listed only as Skeena Salmon Lodge Holdings Ltd., changed the uses of some of the buildings, including converting the existing residence into the Main Lodge, where guests dine.
The guest house was converted to staff accommodations, and the fly-tying shop was expanded and converted to guest accommodations. It is now known as the East Lodge.
The company also added new structures, including a new principal residence, two staff cabins, a hot tub, a wood-fired sauna, and four ATCO-style trailers for additional staff accommodation.
The company now hosts up to 24 guests for heliskiing adventures between December and March.
The land commission became aware of the modified and new structures and uses after the company added the four ATCO trailers in 2020.
The decision states that, while conducting a site visit, the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine advised the company that a building permit and ALC approval were required for the trailers.
In reviewing the application to retain the trailers, the commission identified the other structures and modified uses as potentially requiring ALC approval.
Between 2021 and 2025, the commission’s North Panel conducted a review of a proposal to retain the new and modified buildings, as well as the heliskiing operation.
The Agricultural Land Commission Act (ALCA) permits only one principal residence. If an owner wants to add a new principal residence, it must either remove the existing one or seek approval to convert it to farm use.
While the original principal residence had been approved for non-farm use (i.e., guest dining), with the construction of a new residence, it no longer conforms to the ALCA regulations.
The panel also found that the new principal residence extended to an area of the western part of the property that had never had any structures for non-farm purposes. The panel said it would prefer if all non-farm uses were kept on the eastern portion of the property.
Nevertheless, the commission gave the owner the choice of which residence to remove. However, if it chooses the new residence, it is not approved for guest dining. In that case, the decision said the company could use the East Lodge, or another approved existing accommodation building, for guest dining.
The panel was amenable to allowing some of the other unapproved buildings to remain.
“Recognizing that the 2010 Decision contemplated ongoing use of the Property for seasonal tourist accommodation, the Panel is willing to permit some of the unauthorized structures to remain where their construction would not impact the potential of the remainder of the Property to be used for farm use,” the 2025 decision stated.
This includes the East Lodge, the guest house, the six cabins, the two staff cabins, the hot tub, the sauna, and the smokehouse.
The ALC was not amenable to the ATCO trailers and ordered their removal.
It also denied the use of the property for the heliskiing operation.
“The Panel considered that the addition of heli-skiing would prioritize non-farm use of the Property year-round,” the decision stated.
“The panel noted that the year-round non-farm use and increased income from non-farm uses would make it less likely that the property is farmed in the long term.
“It would also further increase the property value, making it less likely to be returned to agriculture if it is sold in the future. The panel also considered that the year-round use, increase in the number of guests, and the noise from the helicopters increases [sic] the potential for conflict with current and future agricultural uses in the area.”
The commission gave White Wilderness until Nov. 7 to shut down the heliskiing operation.
Other key dates include:
May 7, 2026: Submission deadline for a restrictive covenant prohibiting construction of residential or non-farm structures on the western portion of the property and submission of a reclamation plan by a certified agrologist.
May 7, 2026: Removal of the Main Lodge or new principal residence, and ATCO trailers.
May 7, 2031: Completion of reclamation.
Skeena Salmon Lodge Holdings has yet to respond to a Black Press Media request for comment.