Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Mid-Island
Box 442, Qualicum Beach, BC, V9K lS9, ph. 250
752-6585, fax: 250 752-7085
email: wcwcqb@shaw.ca www.cathedralgrove.com
Press Release
Friday, July 16 2004
Minister Barisoff Visits Cathedral Grove
Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC), Canada
Following a meeting earlier this week between the Western Canada
Wilderness Committee and the Honourable Bill Barisoff, Minister
of Water, Land and Air Protection to discuss the future of MacMillan
Park in Cathedral Grove, the minister, along with MLA’s
Judith Reid and Gillian Trumper were spotted on a visit to the
controversial site where the 5-acre parking lot is being planned
for the park.
“I received a phone call around 2:00 pm
Tuesday, to let me know that the Minister was walking through
the proposed parking lot site next to the Cameron River and
then through to the trail on the opposite side of the highway
where the recently discovered Culturally Modified Trees are
located on Weyerhaeuser land, next to the MacMillan Park boundary,
explains Annette Tanner, WCWC Mid Island spokesperson. “We
had just met with the minister the day before, in Victoria and
we were very encouraged that our presentation and briefing notes
to the minister would benefit from a personal visit of the Grove.”
At the meeting in Victoria, the group asked
that the Minister appoint a contact within his Ministry to be
part of a working committee to expand the Park to include the
remaining 500 hectares in the Grove. Other crown land around
Cameron Lake and along the Little Qualicum River would be part
of a conservation and recreation (West Coast Trail-style) corridor
that would provide a link from the east coast of Vancouver Island
to Pacific Rim National Park on the west coast, including MacMillan
Park which at the moment is the big international tourism feature.”
Other requests at the meeting emphasized immediate
implementation of safety measures in the existing parking areas,
such as flag people for the busy summer season, a marked crosswalk,
flashing lights, speed enforcement, better signage and removal
of the concession stand adding to the congestion and taking
up parking spaces. The group presented the minister with letters
and petitions asking for a moratorium on the proposed parking
lot project until traffic safety and hydrological studies for
the changes have been completed and all proposed changes to
the Park are presented to the public for comment.
- for more information phone Annette Tanner 250 752-6585, 951-5015
video footage and photos of Minister’s visit available
on request-
