Hundreds from across southwestern Alberta gather at Crowsnest Pass Quad Squad Meeting
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LETHBRIDGE – They came by the truck and busload, from Medicine Hat, Brooks and Lethbridge, braving extremely cold temperatures and several feet of snow, to attend a meeting in Bellevue hosted by the Crowsnest Pass Quad Squad.
They came to sign petitions, to voice their concerns and to tell their stories of off-roading in the two Castle Parks for generations.
Club President Gary Clark was sure that a few hundred would come out, but it turned out to be even more.
“We had 617 people come through the door. And of those, we had a total of more than 700 signatures petitions signed, on two separate petitions. 367 signed on one, and 357 signed on the other petition.”
Not only were there hundreds at the actual meeting, but others from the Edmonton area joined in by video conference, and the event was also broadcast live on social media.
“People in Wetaskiwin rented their own hall and had 50 people attend….. and we were streaming our meeting live to them. Also we were streaming on Facebook live. As of last night, we’d reached out to about 39,000 people on Facebook as well.”
Clark says everyone was respectful and well mannered, and the majority of those who spoke out, were pleading for the provincial government to have another look at the draft management plan, so that it would continue to include the use of OHV ‘s in the Castle areas.
“There was a young 15-year old girl that came up and made a very passionate plea that this was her future and she wouldn’t be able to ride there anymore.”
The provincial government has asked for input for the next few weeks, on its plan to eventually phase out access for OHV’s on Castle trails. Environment Minister Shannon Phillips says it’s important to preserve the natural beauty of the area for future generations.
OHV groups argue that generations of riders have already grown up using the parks, millions of dollars have been spent rehabilitating streams and trails, and that the parks should be accessible to everyone, including those who use off road vehicles.
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