|
Lack of Public Consultation on Lodge in Mount Robson Park Leads to WCWC Picket
by WCWC Media •
Friday March 02, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Friday, March 2, 2007, Vancouver, BC ~ A British Columbia government promise to engage in public consultation meetings on a proposed lodge in Mount Robson, one of BCs most popular provincial parks, apparently does not hold true for people living in the Lower Mainland.
The BC government is currently revisiting the Management Plan for Mount Robson Provincial Park, but decided not to proceed with a public open house in Vancouver, instead opting for an invitation-only closed-door meeting with just a handful of numerous stakeholders - effectively shutting out the public. BC Parks recently hosted public open houses on Mount Robson Park in McBride, Valemont and Prince George. Mount Robson, one of BCs oldest and most well known parks, lies in the central Rocky Mountains on the Alberta–British Columbia border, 300 kilometers east of Prince George. It is one of 12 provincial parks identified for development last July, under the BC governments controversial roofed accommodation strategy. Mount Robson Provincial Park is also a United Nations World Heritage Site. Besides the proposed lodge slated for Mount Robson Park, the BC government is also looking at other controversial issues in the Management Plan including helicopter traffic and motorized recreation within the Parks boundaries. “The $64,000 question is why isnt the BC government having an open house process in Vancouver? It appears they are afraid of media coverage and what people might tell them about the notion of lodges, hotels and helicopters in our provincial parks,” said Gwen Barlee, Policy Director with the Wilderness Committee. Park Management Plans are designed to shape management objectives and strategies for BC parks. The original Mount Robson Management Planning Process, completed in 1992, included a public consultation process in Vancouver. This time around however, with political sensitivity still high around the governments roofed accommodation strategy, the public open house in Vancouver was nixed. “The provincial government said they would engage in full public consultation around the issue of lodges and hotels in BC Parks, however they have broken that promise,” commented Joe Foy, Campaign Director with the Wilderness Committee. “Last time there was an open house in Vancouver; this time we have an obscure link on a government website. That is not good enough - we are demanding a proper public consultation process for people living in the Lower Mainland.” The information picket, held today in front of Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel, 7571 Westminster Highway, Richmond, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, will be lead by Joe Foy and several other members of the Wilderness Committee. Gwen Barlee will be inside the BC Parks meeting, protesting the lack of adequate public consultation. -30- For more information please contact: Gwen Barlee, Policy Director, 604-683-8220 (w) or 604-202-0322 (c) Joe Foy, Campaign Director, 604-683-8220 (w) or 604-880-2580 (c)
|
