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Trail is for everyone

Disabled benefit from allowing motorized vehicles on KVR Trail

Now we have this Penticton Adventures Club spokesmen Hettie de Jong demanding that all motorized vehicles be banned from the old KVR roadbed, and is urging the regional district to do so.

First, this is a piece if property bought by “us”, taxpayers as a linear park. It was the Trans Canada Trail Association who wanted it designated as the Trans Canada Trail extension. It was obtained for “all” people in B.C. Secondly, the regional district is not the sole authority, as one would note how they passed the buck when asked by the Naramata Bush Whackers for financial assistance to refurbish the Adra Tunnel.

It should be noted that the humps and bumps are the result from de-railing the tracks, and naturally gets magnified by its current use. I’ve noted that the worst culprits in not sharing the right of way are hikers, bicycles and horses in that order. Wildlife is not a factor and not in danger (they’re too smart for that). As a matter of interest, largely deflected by these self-interest power groups, is the PSI imposed on the track, which is the main relation to any so-called deterioration of the ex-KVR roadbed. I’ll let you smarties do the math for the most part, and consider the displacement. Bicycles, motorbikes, hikers, horses (did you ever see a horseback rider clean up the feces: No), and regular motor vehicles. Match that up with ATVs that only displace 4.5 to 5 PSI on the earth. Bikers wear out tires big time from slipping steadily up 2.2 per cent grades, ie. Penticton to Chute Lake, Penticton to Kirton. Is the math too hard to do, or is it contradicting your claims. Sure there are unscrupulous users of the trail, but you do not see them speeding by the Chute Lake Resort because of enforcement. I’m an old railroader and could site many examples. I could site old horse trails that haven’t been used for that purpose in 50 years, but the beaten trail is still there.

The worst thing about these power groups that want the trail to be their sole use is they are hypocrites, and discriminate against a group of people that can “now” enjoy what they could not previously enjoy: the disabled. This group doesn’t seem to care about them and are content to let them have a sole area, Camp Agar, but not on the TCT. You see in the last 10 years or so, the ATV industry has advanced their units that the handicapped people can now enjoy. Automatic shift, power steering, all hand control, with pull up bars etc., perfect. But no, keep them off the TLC. I go to Brookmere every year on an annual ex-railroaders camp-out and see all vehicles, horses and people using the TCL and just getting along fine. Do these groups contribute to keeping the trail upgraded, like the Bush Whackers?

Ed Bonthoux

 

Penticton