He got 15 minutes and not much more.
Blatchford Road resident Calvin Wrench launched another appeal to Columbia Shuswap Regional District directors to derail the proposed Owlhead Creek Falls Conservation Trail.
Prior to his presentation at the April 21 board meeting in Salmon Arm, regional district chair Ron Oszust advised Wrench that the board had agreed to indulge him even though he had not followed procedure by submitting his presentation to the board before the meeting, something that has been a requirement for at least 10 years.
“Mr. Wrench was fully aware of this requirement and this is substantiated by a string of emails between himself and staff,” says Oszust.
In his two-and-a-half-page statement that he handed to directors as he approached the podium, Wrench reiterated his concerns about access to the proposed trail, which he says, is almost completed surrounded by private property.
Downplaying the potential public appeal of Owlhead Falls, Wrench said the now-secluded spot would become “a prime spot for young people looking for a place to party at night.”
Wrench’s other concerns include wildfire risk, which according to Ministry of Forest figures would increase by at least 50 per cent.
“This is only one of the many serious and legitimate concerns documented by more than 30 residents/stakeholders who would be directly impacted by this development,” he said.
Wrench reiterated his complaints about a lack of information and public consultation on the proposed trail, which was identified in the Area E Parks Plan.
“The fact of the matter is, community buy-in was not elicited in this case, we were not consulted and, when we made our concerns known, they were promptly dismissed,” Wrench wrote in his presentation. “It should be obvious to the CSRD by now, the majority of the public and stakeholders who would be directly affected by this proposal are strongly opposed to it. What will it take to have the CSRD reconsider this development?”
Area E director Rhona Martin responded to Wrench’s complaints by noting the area parks commission had held many meetings, inviting people to come forward and get involved with the process.
And while she couldn’t remember at what point Owlhead Creek was included in the plan, she said people from Malakwa to Swansea Point, where about 70 showed up, were involved in the process.
“It was identified by people and put into a conservation area because people realized it was an environmentally sensitive area,” she said, noting the parks commission is comprised of volunteers, who have the best interests of the whole community at heart.
Martin also suggested to Wrench that just because he doesn’t like the answers doesn’t mean he didn’t get one.
Mayor Malcolm MacLeod pointed out that Wrench’s home is the last Blatchford Road property before the proposed trail site.
“There are a lot of trails up there and I have seen a lot of no-trespass signs,” he said, noting the terrain. “It’s a wonderful place to hike, not party.”
Area C South Shuswap has one of the most developed parks plan in the regional district and director Ted Bacigalupo said Crown land should be available to everyone, not exclusive to a few, and that fears such as those cited by Wrench have not materialized in the South Shuswap, where the trails are being well-used.
Area D Falkland/Silver Creek/Ranchero director René Talbot agreed, pointing out that during development of a trail along Bolean Creek, tempers flared with some property owners demanding that CSRD parks staff be fired.
He said park meetings were advertised and well-attended and the trail is now being well-used and enjoyed.
“You advertise these things and some people show up,” he said.