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Public weighs in on campground

District’s plan to remove property from ALR proceeds
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Regional economist Victor Cumming explains some of the merits of the proposed campground project to the assembled public at the special council meeting on Thursday, June 14. (Jim Elliot/Eagle Valley News)

A piece of densely forested land just across the Eagle River from downtown Sicamous may one day be a nature park and campground with an agricultural twist.

The District of Sicamous council convened a special meeting on June 14 to get the public’s input on their planned application to remove the 117-acre site from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

In their application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), the district proposes adding the site to the existing Riverfront Nature Park across the river, quadrupling its size. The application says the existing trail system on the land in question will be upgraded to provide foot access to the entire site and to make most trails accessible even at high water.

The application also states a campground with 150 large- and 100 regular-sized vehicle campsites and also 50 walk-in only sites will be built on the property. None of the sites will be serviced with water or electricity, but the application states there will be shared washroom facilities and potable water on site when the campground is completed.

Victor Cumming, an economist hired by the district to prepare a report on the business viability of a campground, said demand for campsites in B.C. exceeds supply and the area being proposed for ALR exclusion has tremendous attributes as a park.

“All proposed campsites would be set well back from the river frontage and most of the area would remain in its nature state, undisturbed,” the application reads.

Experts on soil and agriculture consulted by the district concluded that the area has little value for farming due to its uneven terrain and the fact that it floods regularly. A seven-acre field adjacent to the proposed nature park and campground was previously used for agriculture and will remain in the ALR. The application to the ALC suggests that this portion of land would be developed into an agricultural operation that could provide fresh produce for the campsite. Professional agrologist Andrea Gunner writes in her agriculture feasibility study that the seven-acre parcel could be attractive for a farmer interested in a long-term lease.

Part of the land the district wants removed from the ALR is Crown land and the other two parcels are private property. The owners of the private property are in support of the project.

“I applaud council for their vision of this. The economic benefit to this community would be incredible. Small towns across the country are struggling so to do an eco-friendly tourism project here that would give another breath of economic activity would be a win for everyone in this room,” said Robert Haberman, one of the landowners.

Related: District to study feasibility of Eagle River campground

Bryant Laboret, the other landowner, said he purchased the land in question to farm it but did not succeed.

“It’s my objective to bring back some camping facilities for families in this community,” he said.

“I know the spinoff effect for this community will be great.”

Greg Bird, a resident of the Old Town Road area, said he would like to see the project go ahead but the mosquito population of the area is a concern that needs to be addressed for a campsite to flourish.

“When the campers come, they won’t be coming back,” Bird said.

Mayor Terry Rysz replied the District of Sicamous has a mosquito control program in place which could be ramped up and have more money budgeted for it if necessary.

Other members of the public sitting in the packed gallery of the Sicamous council chamber asked questions about the cost of the project and whether the district might have to subsidize the campground to keep it operational.

Related: Application details vision for campground

Sicamous town manager Evan Parliament said the district has paid between $50,000 and $60,000 in consulting fees and has received $100,000 in grant funding to pay for future cost estimates and planning. He estimated the total cost to build roads, campsites and other infrastructure at six to $10 million. He said it would be constructed in phases over 20 to 25 years. Parliament added council is unwilling to go into more debt and will wait for grant funding to pay for the project.

Cumming said other publicly owned campgrounds in the Okanagan are a net financial gain for the communities which manage them.

The district is undertaking the campground project in partnership with the Splatsin Nation. The area they are applying to exclude is part of Splatsin’s traditional territory and the application says the finished campground will have a Secwepemc interpretative centre.

If everything goes as planned, the finished campsite will feature a hand boat launch suitable for canoes, kayaks and paddle boards and a pedestrian bridge over the Eagle River to the Riverfront Nature Park.


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Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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