trail

sandymcruer

The Future of the Log Train Trail

A recent public engagement effort on the Log Train Trail left me thinking about decisions the ACRD has made regarding Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) on the Log Train Trail.

The ACRD Board has adopted a Management Plan that says that traffic by ORVs is around 50%, more than by all other uses combined. I’m not at all surprized. These vehicles and their reputation have figuratively driven many hikers off this trail. And now you’ll see even fewer of them. Hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders are incompatible with ORVs. They were saying that 40 years ago in my forest recreation class at university! Yet hear we are!

Some of the ACRD’s portion of the trail must remain ORV-free. That wasn’t an option in the consultant’s management plan. Did the Board have the imagination to consider this?

To me, the ACRD has dragged its feet right from the start, through the whole process of creating the Log Train Trail and maintaining it. It hasn’t abided with the agreement with the Ministry of Transportation that restricted its use to Active Transportation. Enforcement of this requirement has been negligible. Have any of the complaints been resolved by penalty?… Any? Or have they all quietly disappeared? So how can the board reps and staff speak of it as a done deal? “It just has to get by the Ministry of Transport.” We’ll see about that!

I mentioned that the reason there is so much use of the Log Train Trail by ORVs is because pedestrians are reluctant to use it. With this decision,  it is completely unmanaged until a committee is struck,  meets, and makes a strategy for transiting to the plan. So, do what you like folks! There are no restrictions! And they won’t enforce any that do come into play.

It really irked me to be told at the meeting that the City should have no say on the committee to implement the recommendations when they have two seats on the board.  

You know, the irony of all this is that the Management Plan commissioned by the ACRD was funded by the Canada Active Transportation Fund. What is “Active Transportation”? Active transportation is using your own power to get from one place to another. This fund is set up to promote Green Transportation! Just the opposite is the result of the plan!

sandymcruer

The Status Quo for Hole-in-the-Wall is Not Possible.

I was surprised to see a majority of people responding negatively to the Alberni Valley News poll on making the Hole-in-the-Wall a tourist attraction. A convincing majority are against it. But a poll on something like this is mostly answered by people who haven’t given the issue any thought, or looked into the issues. Still, it is daunting. Something needs to be done whether the majority is against it or not.

I Googled Hole-in-the-Wall to see how many sites promoted it. I stopped counting sites mentioning Hole-in-the-Wall at 50. They include, the Chamber of Commerce, a three hiking apps, Trip Advisor, Flickr, several blogs, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and many, many more. There is even a Chinese language site featuring it. Word-of-mouth is also an important factor in the popularity of the site. Closing the attraction without notifying all these sites would result in a lot of unhappy visitors, and damage to Port Alberni’s fragile reputation for tourism.

Crowds start in April and go into October at both entrances. They are regularly plugged up with vehicles, with the overflow going into Coombs Country Candy. Erosion, trampling and garbage are also an issue.

Ask the RCMP how many accidents, near misses, and incidents have happened around Coombs Country Candy, and the Black Powder Range Road. Then there are the people who find no parking and park at the candy store. Then they scamper across the highway, some taking chances with the traffic because of their impatience.

It’s not just the Hole-in-the-Wall that is the attraction, although it is a pretty good name. Across the road we have a lookout, a trail network, downhill mountain bike courses, and a starting point for ATV adventures. Also, Coombs Country Candy is definitely part of the attraction. It is a wonderful spot to relax after any of these activities. The owner, Murray Lawlor, tells me it is very much a part of the success of his business. But he worries about the risks that people who park at Coombs Country Candy take when they cross the highway.

It is high time that the Regional District, Mosaic, Highways, and Lawlor sit down and come up with a plan. Investment is necessary. To Mosaic, I say that there may be a way to lease some property and therefore get some revenue from the land, perhaps from admission charges. Those same admission charges could also pay for the investment in parking, way-finding, and maintenance. Perhaps also, a resort developer could work with the parties to add value to the area.

It is easy to throw out ideas. Perhaps some of them will spark an idea in someone’s head, who is better positioned than I am to make things happen. Leading public opinion is an important quality of leadership. I have to trust that our leaders agree. But I think something has to change, because the alternative is increased degradation of the attraction itself.