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This article was published in the Sooke News Mirror on Wednesday,
August 23, 2000 after Rob deLange appeared before Sooke Council on Aug. 21 to ask for their
support in keeping the Harbour View area accessible to all types of recreation.
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Rock Crawlers want to keep access to lands
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Local Four wheel drive enthusiasts are concerned any potential sale of "Harbourview" lands to the
Land Conservancy and subsequently turned over to the Capital Regional District could see the loss
of access to the lands.
The club, which boasts about 67 members, is worried that if the land is ever transferred to the CRD,
their group, and others who use the lands will be banned from taking motor vehicles onto the property,
representative Rob deLange said in a presentation to Sooke Council on Monday.
"There's plenty of recreational groups that do use the area now and have for many years", he said.
DeLange said the lands are important because they are the only accessible areas on the lower island
that are not subject to closures by logging companies or parks regulations.
DeLange also noted the important economic benefits their club, which he described as a
family-oriented group, brings to the community. The annual Rock Crawl event brings an estimated
$50,000 to Sooke, he noted. It has also been featured in international publications.
"People consider Harbourview on par with some of the world class venues featured in magazines
these days," he said.
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Island Rock Crawlers have made sure they have had a voice on parks planning issues in the CRD,
most notably, with the CRD master parks plan. But they were unable to convince the CRD to allow
motorized usage in parks, deLange said.
He noted the club has had a strict code of conduct and organizes an annual clean-up of the lands
which are often used as dumping grounds for garbage and stolen vehicles.
Mayor Ed Macgregor said council already supports the creation of an off road vehicle park within
the CRD. He noted there are issues that will have to be addressed, including the management of
the lands and impacts on others who are not so enthusiastic about the off road activity.
"We've got a major problem with the neighbours at the end of Harbourview Road," he said,
noting noise complaints he receives from many of the residents living there.
"I'm not suggesting your group is doing it," he said. "Unfortunately, everyone gets tarred
with the same brush."
"I think we've got a real self-disciplinary job to do. How are you going to manage the
mavericks," he questioned.
Macgregor said it will be important for responsible users to try and develop a
program to show that the lands won't be damaged.
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There are a few points we would like to clarify regarding this article. First is the IRC's
aim while participating in the planning process for the CRD's Parks Master Plan. It was not to
convince the CRD to allow motorized vehicles in ALL CRD parks. Rather, we suggested that in light
of the historical usage by many different recreational groups of the Harbour View area, should CRD
ever gain control of the Harbour View area, would they consider a special provision to allow
continued use of motorized vehicles in just that one area?
Second, the intention of our sport is often misstated in articles such as this one.
We do not drive off road. We drive off highways. In Harbour View, as in many other areas,
the attraction to four-wheelers is the vast network of old logging roads and skid trails.
The Island Rock Crawlers' code of conduct obliges members to travel only on these
established roads. Granted, some of these roads may have fallen into a state of disrepair,
making them impassible to regular vehicles, but therein lies our challenge.
Also, many people unfamiliar with off-highway driving mistakenly think we engage in competitive
racing or mud drags. In fact, quite the opposite is true. To successfully negotiate the roads in
question, they must be traversed as slowly as possible.
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