Firstly, let me say that when the national proposal came out over a decade ago Parks Canada promised us a three-year process.
We obtained over 6,000 local signatures clearly stating there was no desire for a national park of any kind. I cannot stress enough the term local, of which I do not consider those outside the proposed area.
Desire for transparency should reflect back to the Land Resource Management Planning (LRMP) committee which was a democratic process that declared what lands should be protected. Even the proponents of the national park signed and agreed to what we now call the Protected Area Strategies (PAS) and we need to keep those pieces of lands protected and spend tax dollars on those initiatives. After the LRMP, and very un-democratically, the park proponents undermined the process by initiating a national park proposal.
Like spoiled children not getting enough cake at the party they went behind our backs and left many of us with a bad taste — they seemed to have no problem convincing the federal bureaucrats to get along with the park process with much secrecy and clandestine like activities. During the last 13 years (even though three was promised) Parks Canada continued with mistruths and secrecy.
When a promise was made to no longer pursue the park, Parks Canada worked diligently behind our backs with many of the proponents spending more of your hard earned tax dollars. I personally have never been so ashamed of a federal group like Parks Canada, they are very untrustworthy and we should hold firm by not letting them get a grip on our precious Crown Land that we hold so dear. It’s easy for people with no skin in the game to love the idea of a national park, but I would sincerely ask them that they consider those of us that for generations have loved, worked and looked after that mountain. Yours in conservation (not preservation).
Ernie Marven
Cawston