|
 |
 Lack of road care hurts Myra Canyon tourism
August 2/02
By Corinne Jackson, Capital News contributor
 For some time now, Maurice Gervais has been wondering how to be heard. The owner of Sparky’s Lakefront Sports Centre, a sports equipment rental and tour company, is concerned about the B.C. government’s plan to stop maintaining forest service roads.
But, with Forests Minister Mike de Jong in town today to meet with local media and answer questions on forestry issues, Gervais hopes he reads this article. The stop of grading the Little White and Myra forest service roads, which lead to the Kettle Valley Railway trestles, will severely impact his business, which includes mountain bike tours on the KVR. But it will also hurt tourism in general to that site, he insists.
Given that Sparky’s operates out of the busy Grand Okanagan Lakefront Resort, the KVR bike tours are “very, very popular,” said Gervais yesterday, after returning from the canyon with a tour group. “At this time of year, we’re going up sometimes every second day. But if you go up there, there are literally hundreds and hundreds every day. The parking lot is always full.”
Given how popular the KVR is and that private companies are using these roads to cash in on the attraction, Gervais said, “It wouldn’t bother me if we were charged a surcharge or something.”
But, he added, the forest service roads are on Crown land and the KVR is part of the TransCanada Trail. As such, the government shouldn’t download all responsibility for these roads, he argues.
After all, he points out it’s thanks to the volunteer efforts and fund-raising of the Myra Canyon Trestle Society that the site is so popular.
Gervais is now interested in forming an association with like-businesses that rely on the forest service roads, such as mountain bike tour companies, to ensure they’re heard. Those interested can contact him at 862-2469.
But Gervais isn’t the only one concerned about the government’s plans.
So is Canadian EarthCare Society, a Kelowna-based environmental group.
The society was up at the trestles yesterday, handing out brochures and letting visitors know the government is looking to dump maintenance of the very roads they traveled on to access the site, as well as parks, forest recreation sites and campsites.
Lloyd Manchester, the society’s senior policy advisor, said the timing of the leafletting was a coincidence in that he didn’t know de Jong was coming to Kelowna. However, once he learned of the minister’s visit, Manchester said he asked for a meeting but was turned down.
According to EarthCare, government downloading is of particular concern in our area—the Penticton Forest District—where recreation site visits are highest in B.C.
The district stretches from north of Wilson Landing to Osoyoos in the south.
Handing out brochures is only the latest effort by EarthCare to heighten awareness of this issue. The society, with Friends of the South Slopes Society and the trestle society, sent a joint letter to de Jong on July 12 asking that government provide up to $20,000 to continue the maintenance of the Little White and Myra Roads for the rest of this tourist season, which ends around October.
The same request went out, shortly after, from the Central Okanagan Regional District board, noted Manchester, adding there’s been no response from government yet.
The letters went out as a result of a meeting held earlier this month between the three societies, regional district, Tourism Kelowna, City of Kelowna, BC Parks and the ministries of transportation and forests, to discuss ongoing maintenance of the Myra and Little White roads.
The group is set to meet again Sept. 18.
According to the trestle society, the KVR has become world-renowned. Some 46,000 people visited the Myra trestles last year alone with the economic spin-off estimated at $5 million in tourist accommodation, meals and other services.
<< back
|
|
Canadian EarthCare Society
Street Address:
702 Bernard St., Kelowna, B.C. V1Y6P5
E-mail: info@earthcares.org
|
