Thank you. I’m not here to speak on behalf of the provincial
government. As you all, hopefully all know I’m an independent member
and I represent an independent thinking constituency - people like yourselves
who want to be inclusive and not excluded in decisions that are made
by government.
My good friend, former colleague Steve Orcherton is
here and I’ll ask Steve after I finish to perhaps say a few words.
In 1992 the provincial government through the Ministry
of Environment, Lands and Parks embarked on an agenda and that was to
transfer Sooke Mountain Provincial Park over to the Capital Regional
District. They entered into discussions in the back room. People like
yourselves came to me and said "this can not happen." We have
to ensure that the uses that have gone on in that park can not be taken
away from the users who have traditionally made use of those lands for
decades. We won that battle in ‘92 but the war is not over!
Now while I’m supportive of the government’s initiatives
to see a "sea-to-sea greenbelt" to help protect lands that
are to Victoria’s west, what I don’t support is a locked gate approach
in saving those lands. The Crown recently announced in September that
seven large parcels of crown land, totaling over 335 hectares, were
to be set aside for recreational purposes.
I support that, but what I don’t support is the transfer
of those lands to any other private group or public agency until there
is full consultation with the existing users and that is people like
yourselves.
Now why do I say that? I say that because there was
a commitment by the government to enter in to discussions and consultation
with the user groups prior to any transfer of those lands. I also say
that the Government made a commitment before any regulations are changed
on those lands which could take away the existing uses that there be
consultation. I call on the Government through the Minister of Environment
Lands and Parks to enter into those discussions and to have full public
meetings and disclosure with people like yourselves.
And last but not least, before these seven parcels of
land are transferred to any group or organization, not only is there
consultation with you, there is consultation with the Aboriginal community
because they have an interest and I know many of them support your initiatives.
But what we’ve got to make sure is that that jewel, Sooke Mountain Park
should get a legally gazetted right of way, and no longer be land locked
as it has been for almost forty years.
Thank you very much.
Thanks Rick, and thanks to all of you for coming out
today and speaking loudly and clearly on an issue that clearly affects
not only people in the capital regional area, but as was pointed out
earlier, people from all around the province.
And it was pointed out earlier I think something we
can all be proud of as British Columbians that we indeed have 12% of
British Columbia designated as park lands in this province. It is a
tremendous goal that we have achieved in British Columbia and I think
it is something that we should all be very, very proud of.
Having said that, you can’t walk away from that statement
without defining what parks mean for the people of British Columbia.
I know there is a lot of competing interest on how parks
should be used and how access should be determined and who the users
should or should not be on particular parcels of land designated as
parks in the province of British Columbia. I know that, and I know that
at the beginning of this decade there was something that most British
Columbians understood as the war in the woods, which was focused around
the use of forestry lands vis-a-vis the use and designation of parks.
And the last thing I want to see in British Columbia is something new
occurring - a war over the parks. That is wholly inappropriate. We went
through that war in the woods, we have not finished yet but the solutions
lie in consultation with the users of land in British Columbia. It is
my view that public lands should be for the public!
The Question becomes, "how do we administer those lands?"
As my friend Rick Kasper was saying, consultation is
key and I agree with that. In our area here the Capital Regional District
needs to be involved in consultation, the local municipal governments
should be involved in consultation, and the ministry of environment
should be leading that progressive, constructive process. That’s my
view.
And in that process what is absolutely required is talking
to all of the people who want to use protected land, park land, in this
province. That includes you, that includes environmentalists, includes
people that want to fish, it includes people that want to hunt. It includes
all people in British Columbia who have an interest in parks. We need
to involve ourselves in that consultative process, because if we do
not we will indeed enter the next decade having a war over the use of
parks in British Columbia. Not just here on southern Vancouver Island
but in Maple Ridge, in Prince George, in Cranbrook, in Kamloops and
the north island, right across this province.
It is absolutely critical that now that we have achieved
12% designation of parks in this province that we sit down as a people,
as British Columbians and discuss how we are going to administer, how
we are going to regulate, and how we are going to guarantee public access
to our parks. 12% of British Columbia is now parks we need to ensure
that all British Columbians have access to our parks in a responsible
way,
That’s what we need to do as a people in British Columbia.
So my undertaking to you today in an effort to stop
any notion of a war in the parks, because I think that we can not embark
upon that kind of a strategy that pits British Columbians against each
other. My undertaking to you is that I will indeed on Monday morning
be talking to the minister of environment about seeing if we can put
in place a process that is inclusive, that talks to everybody ,that
listens to everyone and their issues, and put in place a plan that we
can deliver public access to our parks, 12% in British Columbia for
all British Columbians for you today, for your children, your children’s
children, and into the future.
We have a tremendous legacy in British Columbia that
we have achieved. Lets not waste it. Let’s ensure that British Columbians
have access to our publicly held lands in a responsible way.
That’s my undertaking to you. I think we can do that.
We provided solutions in large measure in terms of the relationship
between forestry and environmentalists in this province. I think we
can achieve the same thing. We have a history in British Columbia of
consulting. I think the consultation process is long overdue in this
regard. We need to move forward and my commitment is to work with you
as individuals, through your organizations, with your local MLA Rick
Casper, the Minister of Environment and municipal governments and others
in British Columbia to achieve that end.
Let’s not squander the legacy that we have achieved
12% parks in British Columbia, let’s ensure those parks, that public
land is for people, people!
Island Rock Crawlers Home Page
