The Lower Athabasca Regional Plan on the use of public lands was high on the agenda at the Riverland Recreational Trail Society’s annual general meeting at Boscombe on April 25.
The plan covers an immense area stretching from the north border of the County of St. Paul all the way to the Northwest Territories border, and west from the Saskatchewan border to the western borders of the Municipal District of Bonnyville, Lac La Biche County and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which make up the region.
A regional advisory council established in December 2008 came up with a lengthy document of advice to the provincial government regarding the region’s future, with this advice unveiled at a series of public meetings last September, A workbook distributed at those sessions invited the public to share their views on the advisory council’s recommendations, either via the print version or online.
It was during the course of the public meetings “that we realized decisions were being made that would affect us,” Jerry Bidulock told the Riverland group. “We weren’t engaged in the process, and the Lower Athabasca region was way up there.” Since those meetings, Bidulock said, “we organized a few different meetings with MLAs Mel Knight and Ray Danyluk and expressed our concerns.”
An extension of the Lakeland Provincial Recreation Area, including the Sand River “was being designated as a conservation area,” Bidulock said. “The problem was that there was no confirmed definition of what that meant. People went on line and wrote letters, and 64 per cent of the respondents said they would like more trails and recreational opportunities that would not harm the environment.”
Now, Bidulock said, “we’re in round three,” and the revised draft of the land use framework is “pretty interesting stuff. That conservation area is gone, and I have mixed feelings about that”. Without the conservation area, heavy oil and other development would be allowed in that region, he noted. “The MD of Bonnyville doesn’t have a lot of public lands in the strategic plan now, and there are some definitions of a conservation area, but they aren’t legislated yet.”
The designation of the lower portion of the region as ‘Lakeland Country,’ an area the advisory council felt had significant potential as an iconic destination for tourism and recreation, “is not something anybody I know has lobbied for,” Bidulock said. “Its day is coming whether we want it to or not.”
He added that, “a regional trail system was what we were lobbying for.”
The current series of open houses is “one last opportunity to express and secure our personal desires,” Bidulock said. “What can we do to protect crown land? We can make a plan ourselves. The workbook has vague ideas. We should put our heads together, put lines on the map and make a plan for the future.”
One idea Bidulock put forward was the establishment of “frolic areas – a quarter section where people could go rip and tear, that would keep them off the rest. (The current) amount of activity actually has to be controlled.” He also said it would be necessary to “come up with ways to save our access (to public lands). Light recreational access makes some sense to me.”
In closing, Bidulock said that Riverland “gives us the basis to believe that good things can happen.”
ATV safety
Regional Traffic Safety Coordinator Barry Sallstrom brought along the draft of a new ATV safety brochure, which he said presents “a single, consistent message. Things can go sideways at any moment.” The brochure emphasizes the main points of “wearing the gear,” including head protection, riding an ATV of appropriate power for the age and size of rider, one rider per ATV, zero tolerance of alcohol and drug use for riders and learning the necessary skills with an operating course.
Sallstrom noted that a curriculum trial is planned for an in-school ATV safety course for all age groups from kindergarten to Grade 12, “hopefully soon.”
Annual meeting
President Maurice Dargis reported on the past year’s activity, with one of the major projects, an access route to Fort George and Buckingham House, opening June 18 at the Forts’ ATV event. In 2010, Premier Ed Stelmach and Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister Cindy Ady visited the area and praised the volunteers who brought the Iron Horse Trail into being.
In 2011, Dargis said it is “exciting” to have another 1,000 trail DVDs to distribute and to look forward to developing the Bonnyville staging area on MuniCorr property. “We’ve had a good year; let’s keep it up.”
Treasurer Marvin Bjornstad gave his annual report, and also noted that the Iron Horse Trail has the possibility of going into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest geocaching route, that route being tied into the website to inform geocaching enthusiasts of this new and exciting possibility.
Dargis and Bjornstad, along with secretary Marjorie Scott, were returned to office in the elections that wound up the meeting, with Dave Dalby of Smoky Lake filling the vice presidential position which was vacant last year. Robert Pruneau of St. Paul was appointed as trail steward boss, replacing Danny Smyl, who has stepped down.
Riverland members, along with MuniCorr representatives and councils, public works superintendents and CAOs from, municipalities along the route, were invited to take part in the MuniCorr trail ride on June 12 and 13.
