To the Editor:
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! What’s the name of that song? Everything is Beautiful, isn’t it?
Such is the way it is with our provincial government, the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the ducks ("Ducks Unlimited to run Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area"). Not so with the public, especially those who wish to visit the gem of the CVWMA Duck Lake. Signs point the way to Duck Lake showing all the recreational activities available, but deeply rutted roads prevent easy access.
Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall speaks of it being a shady deal. It’s shady in more ways than one. It’s shady how our provincial government dealt the ducks in with DUC with a pocket full of cash and dealt the public out with respect to access.
I have a letter on file saying they didn’t think there was enough money around to spend $22,000 to do a permanent fix on the road conditions. There’s enough money around to build the Port Mann Bridge ($2.46 billion dollars), the roof on BC Place ($550 million) and who knows how much on the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. Something the government needs to learn is: “Vancouver is not B.C. and B.C. is not Vancouver.”
This is not a time for boasting. The $850,000.00 is a blatant fact how severe our government’s historical neglect was to the CVWMA.
It may all be beautiful to everyone else, but it ain’t to me. The people of this valley are my forte. Over the course of a season, there are thousands who cannot access Duck Lake. This is the first year since 1943 I have not been able to access the area, first with a horse and then a vehicle. It is not even passable safely by foot — a total disgrace to this valley.
Wynndel