Friday, April 13, 2012

Express Written Authority

A few weeks ago, when GrandDog Eli was visiting Campbell River from his current home in Victoria we decided to do one of our regular walks, along the Piggott Main to the Lost Lake Main and up the hill that overlooks the entire area.  About 10km out and back.
We pulled off the highway at Cranberry. As we came to where the Oyster River Main leaves the Duncan Bay Main, I noticed a prominent red-and-white sign, declaring the road and lands to be private property, not to be trespassed. However, we've been walking here for years so I ignored it and carried on over the Oyster River to the Piggott Main, where I parked the car.
Another sign; same message.

Then another, at the Black Creek Main. And another, at the Lost Lake Main.
Clearly, TimberWest was trying to send a message, and, also clearly, it wasn't very friendly.
But there were others using the road, and no visible signs of enforcement, so we carried on with the walk.
However, by the time I got home I'd decided to play their game and get the "Express Written Authority" they had apparently decided to require.
So I went to the web site.
Guess what?  That "authority" is unavailable:
Which leaves responsible, law-abiding people like me in an interesting position: TimberWest owns much of the east coast of Vancouver Island. It's roads provide access to many significant public areas, including much of Strathcona Park. Do I follow this edict?  Or do I continue to use their roads as I've been doing for most of my life?
It doesn't help TimberWest's case that the website's cited reasons for the ban (vandalism and  fire suppression costs) aren't solved by that ban: people like me, who might pay attention to it, aren't part of the problem; people who are won't be deterred by a few signs.
Over the years Eli and I have encountered many people on our walks along TimberWest roads. Besides the loggers, road builders, tree-planters, herbicide-sprayers, and truckers one might logically expect to meet on logging roads and their surrounding lands, we have encountered literally hundreds of salal-pickers, fishermen, hunters, gold-panners, quad, dirtbike, and snowmobile drivers, horse-riders, cyclists, target and skeet shooters, tourists, campers, mushroom-pickers, wood-cutters, and, of course, dogs and hikers like ourselves. According to the posted signs, all these "trespassers" are no longer welcome on TimberWest's "private lands & roads".
It seems, somehow,  not very Canadian.
And is certainly, given the vast areas we're talking about, unenforceable.
We've walked TimberWest roads several times since I first noticed those signs.  I'm happy to report that the fishermen, gold-panners, quad drivers, and dog-walkers appear to be undeterred, and are still using the roads and lands and streams and lakes. Like me, the vast majority obviously haven't acquired permission to do so.
Like me, they obviously plan to continue.