What is Wrong With This Picture?

Saturday, November 25, 2006 04:01 AM

It is a beautiful shot, a wilderness cabin a couple of snowmobilers, what is wrong with this picture? The snowmobilers are breaking the law. The photo was shot last weekend, and the snowmobilers are not supposed to be in Kakwa park until December 1st.

Prince George snowmobile riders say the latest announcement by Environment BC concerning the KAKWA Park, 70 kilometers north of McBride is poorly conceived.

The Province has announced the 171,000 hectare Park will be managed to protect and support vulnerable species, focusing on Grizzly Bears, Woodland Caribou and Bighorn Sheep.

Snowmobilers will be allowed to access the park between December 1st and April 15th or 30th each winter.

This past April three parks were designated as Inter-provincial parks.

The heaviest use of the park by Snowmobilers comes from Alberta and local enthusiast Lee Sexsmith, says the Albertans are continuing to use the Kakwa at their leisure.
Sexsmith says “These Alberta riders are also in Kakwa and are completely unaware they are now engaging in an illegal activity. Also, one of the cabins they are talking about is on Jarvis Lake and it is now off limits. Note that people from all over Western Canada and USA are regular visitors to Kakwa in the winter time. Last week some Prince George residents took a fellow from \new Zealand into the park. He really enjoyed the trip.”

Sexsmith says he, along with other PG club members, are a little surprised being as how they were never given the opportunity to participate in government planning on the area. A reduction of snowmobile use was not supposed to happen.

He said the new access date is Dec 1st, but Snowmobilers have always been in the area before that.

"The narrowing of the dates simply makes the Snowmobilers law breakers" he adds "and in particular those people from Alberta. We have been going to the area for the past 37 years now" adds Sexsmith, "and even the most biased studies have shown no impact from snowmobile use in the Kakwa Park Area."

Other snowmobile riders say that BC Parks has taken an adversarial approach to snowmobiling and this is reflected in the Kakwa management plan.
BC Parks they say made a choice to continue to pursue an uncomfortable relationship with the snowmobile community and "After all our efforts, it was not what we expected."

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Posted on Saturday, November 25, 2006 04:01 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on November 25 2006 7:28 AM

Is that you Yamadoo?

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on November 25 2006 7:41 AM

The areas of Kakwa Park that snowmobilers visit have been studied to determine their impact on any animal, including caribou. Professional biologists decided snowmobiles have no impact.

Snowmobilers are the only winter visitors to Kakwa, so I don't understand why the government created regulations to take away the Jarvis cabins and cut back snowmobiling. Usually regulations are used for a purpose. So in the absence of reason, what is left is a bureaucratic power trip by people with out an engine. It's no different than someone ribboning off the Nechako Cottonwood trail down by the museum, just for the heck of it.

To get to Kakwa use 16 East to the Walker turn off. The Walker road is only plowed about 6 km. From there you face 84km of snow covered trail. At the end of the trail you are on the boundary of the park. If the trail is not opened up and you are riding an older snowmobile - go home you will not make it.

Posted by: ammonra on November 25 2006 7:48 AM

The restrictions on snowmobile use may well be arbitrary and unreasonable, but they are in place. If you use them for access outside the datees permitted then you are breaking the law.

If you don't agree with the law, then you should work to change it, but I do not understand the attitude that because someone does not agree with the law and thinks they know better, that they can just ignore it altogether.

1. They may be wrong.

2. They can usually be fined

Ignoring the law when you do not agree with it is called anarchy.

Posted by: Don Mackenzie on November 25 2006 11:24 AM

If the snowmobile owners that live on the Hart ride their machine up and down city streets while drinking their beer. Trespass on private property,(CUT FENCES) How in the hell can you expect these owners to obey other laws??????Yamadoopolcat you are probably a responsible rider, But your sport sure have a lot of unresponsible people owning machines.

Posted by: diplomat on November 25 2006 12:22 PM

Yama:"Usually regulations are used for a purpose. So in the absence of reason, what is left is a bureaucratic power trip by people with out an engine."

The story contains the following paragraph:

"The Province has announced the 171,000 hectare Park will be managed to protect and support vulnerable species, focusing on Grizzly Bears, Woodland Caribou and Bighorn Sheep."

That IS the purpose! So, obey the law and challenge BC Parks as for the decision to manage and protect, etc if you wish.

In the meantime, stay out off the area.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 25 2006 3:03 PM

This is a law I for one will not respect. I have snowmobiled a lot in that park and never once saw conflict between human and wildlife activity. No one can tell me wildlife hangs out in the super bowl, which is where most people ride. Its far to open and to step for any animal to want for its habitat. Nothing lives on the snow cap or we would see animal tracks from there movement. There are however some trails that could lead to areas that impact wildlife and maybe they should block those specific trails with a downed tree and a sign, but to block the whole park is unreasonable and illegal IMO.

Some laws are meant to be broken. A law made by a bureaucrat in secret behind closed doors and not an elected assembly fits the bill of laws that are meant to be broken.

If BC Parks wants to restrict access than restrict it from the Alberta side of the park; because that is where 90% of the riders at Kakwa come from and 100% of the yahoos. Them sitting and squirting Albertian's think they own the place taking over the cabins on weekends that the BC tax payer pays for.

I think its time to ride Kakwa just to make a point. We are still a free country are we not. Maybe they should look at making laws for people that actually do harm wildlife like the poachers and the land developers. IMO the wildlife at Kakwa benefits from the use of snowmobile trails rather than wasting their energy in the deep snow.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 25 2006 3:07 PM

I'm sure BC Parks supports the dumping of tailing waste in alpine lakes killing off one of the Norths biggest water sheds so a multinational corporation can save $800 million on their resource extraction, but a couple of snowmobilers that have never harmed a single animal are the enemy they chose to do battle with. It makes absolutely no sense at all.

Posted by: diplomat on November 25 2006 4:30 PM

"Some laws are meant to be broken."

Nice going! Just saw a snowmobile illegally negotiating (driving on) the sidewalk in the Hart Highlands!!!

Unbelievable! Ammonra has it right: Anarchy is the proper term for those who break the law to the disadvantage of the law-abiding Canadians!

"IMO the wildlife at Kakwa benefits from the use of snowmobile trails rather than wasting their energy in the deep snow."

So you admit that wildlife is being affected by snowmobiles there!

Wow!

Posted by: Harbinger on November 25 2006 5:01 PM

Maybe these snowmobilers subscribe to a different religion with a different calendar. Could happen.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on November 25 2006 6:49 PM

ammonra writes.."The restrictions on snowmobile use may well be arbitrary and unreasonable, but they are in place. If you use them for access outside the datees permitted then you are breaking the law."..

Actually the people in the picture were not breaking the law. The new regulations came in this week. So for decades it was legal and now it is illegal, just like that.

Usually what goes around comes around. If the government regulates people into being a criminal and insists on picking on people for no reason, people start to have no regard for any laws. That why regulations and laws have to be reasonable, because to be effective people have to support them. There is very little support for the Kakwa regulations in the user group.

These regulations are made for, and by, big city people that want a real tame quiet world to escape from their rat race lives. They start to fantasize about things and have the power to indulge themselves. Sometimes they get to carried away as in these regulations.

I know that the local club met with BC Parks to make sure Parks knew Kakwa had lots of vistors in the winter time. What message does it send when Parks knows where we go and makes it illegal? Might as well ride down the sidewalks if it doesn't make any difference.

Posted by: pgpioneer on November 25 2006 7:04 PM

I do not feel sorry for the snowmobilers. I X-Country ski and use the Tabor area designated only for X-Country skiing. Every year they wreck the trails. All the trails. I have seen multiple families out enjoying a day snowmobiling going down a trail that said no snowmobiling. They just went around the sign. Great teachers for their young. This is not random but the norm. It seems that signs do not matter. I am sorry that the responsible riders get tarred with the same brush but I have seen this problem for the last 20 years. Tabor is off limits. Kakwa is off limits. Do the responsible thing and ride where you are allowed.

Oh Yeah, do you ever go and clear any of the trails up on Tabor? I think not! I have seen much damage done by irresposnsible riders to cabins and trails & this is just close to town....

So sorry no sympath from me. Until I see a big change close to town.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 25 2006 8:00 PM

So is this about restricting access to the park to snowmobilers so that the cross country skiers from Grand Prairie can have the park for themselves?

Its the only reason people would push for a law like this it seems to me.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 25 2006 8:06 PM

Diplomat is getting all extreme again,

"Anarchy is the proper term for those who break the law to the disadvantage of the law-abiding Canadians!"

Can you define disadvantage to the law abiding Canadian that justifies putting restrictions on freedoms that are none intrusive? Is road hockey or mountain biking the next to go on your list?

IMO, if you move to Russia you'll find the managed society you're looking for. Maybe China.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on November 25 2006 10:57 PM

pgpioneer writes.. "Oh Yeah, do you ever go and clear any of the trails up on Tabor? I think not! I have seen much damage done by irresposnsible riders to cabins and trails & this is just close to town"....

Well, you think wrong. I have, and still do, clearing of trails on Tabor mountain. Our club also has cabins, and they get beat up just like anyone else's do.

But that's all right. I just have a little more respect for other people's recreation than you seem to have.

Posted by: diplomat on November 26 2006 8:34 AM

Chad, take a deep breath and make a list of the laws you are presently disobeying.

Hopefully none of them are traffic laws.

If we all pick and choose and ignore the laws that we find objectionable we would have an even more chaotic society, requiring even more law enforcement, courts and jails.

Canadian society is built on the notion that everyone is equal and that all laws apply to everyone equally. The expectation is that a good citizen obeys all laws!

Perhaps you should think about the long range implications of openly advocating anarchy.

As soon as someone broke some law and it would disadvantage YOU I bet you would be screaming at the top of YOUR lungs!

Case closed.

Posted by: thereasonableman on November 26 2006 11:20 AM

It never ceases to surprise me the microscopic topics people can get all spun up about. And you guys sit there and wonder why society is in the position it is in. Expect wars over the price of a pack of cigarettes soon. Hey, I think my neighbor just passed gas, that affects my air quality, I shouldn't have to breathe that !
I want a partliamentary committee struck !

You are all lost in needle-nose land.
I agree with YamaDoo's comments only because the knowledge we presently have of people's behavioral patterns is such that, rules that seem to be unconscionable will be ignored by a certain percentage of the masses, as an unnecessary infringement of their rights. It's not right or wrong, it's only human nature.

A smart guy, who wanted compliance, would work with the "people to be managed" in a partnership to gain compliance by persuasion and understanding and co-operation.

This is like the same way that our government should be managing us. Instead they put a gun to our head and say do it, you don't need an explanation. Apparently, this is a symbol of a democratic society.

Those of you that speak of anarchy, yes it is coming eventually. I can't say when or how, but it is a natural progression in the evolution of a society, and we are due to deal with that stage of our development as a result of the present course we are on. I wouldn't say it is anyone's fault or avoidable. Think of it as the same as a teenager going through teenage rebellion.

We are presently way too divided and way too partisan to be a cohesive society. Everyone wants something different and everybody has to have everything exactly their own way.

There, I gave you lots to chew on this time instead of just mindless angry ranting about nothing. Have a great day, and don't forget to use the grape.

Posted by: REALIST on November 26 2006 12:40 PM

Not allowing snowmobiles in the park probably has more to do with this governments plans to put in expensive hotels and sell the land to the Americans. Snowmobile tracks tend to make the land look messy when seen from helecopters carrying possible buyers. Like the Cambell government cares about wildlife! Good one guys! Perhaps they can try to convince us they care about all citizens of British Columbia including us Northerners. Ha.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 27 2006 12:09 AM

Diplomat, thats a lame arguement. Use fear and a hypothetical about anarchy to make the argument for restriciting peoples freedoms.

Its not about anarchy, its about government employees making ideological edicts behind closed doors with no direct accountability to the citizens whoms freedoms these ideological edicts infringe upon. Worse yet they try to pass off the ideological edicts as consensus laws of the representative legislature.

This ideological edict is the spear of a wedge to restrict my freedoms and that disadvantages me. As such I have a right to protest the illigitimacy and hypocracy of this government employee made ideological edict.

Diplomat on the other hand can come up with all the hypotheticals of fear he wants and it will not make that type of arguement any closer to something that resembles what Canadians value in our society.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 27 2006 12:10 AM

IMO, Diplomat makes extremist statements and does not answer any questions about his extremist statements.

Posted by: Chadermando on November 27 2006 12:19 AM

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. - George Orwell