After we read that the City had installed a gate to impede the entrance of vehicles to the Vedder River from the Hopedale Road (New river gate prompts petition, The Chilliwack Progress Wednesday April 20), and the letter to the editor written by Bonnie Whyte in the April 21 issue of the Chilliwack Times, with my with wife we went to walk the area. We were impressed with the job done by City of Chilliwack employees to clean and restore the area.
We had been avoiding that area for some time as it was uninviting in account to the garbage left behind by people using that area as their backyard, the illegally dumped garbage, and the general abuse of the delicate environment of the place. We had even seen people driving their trucks into the river and washing the dirt out of the vehicle, without any regards to damage that this makes to the health of the stream.
We applaud the decision the Mayor and Council took to place a gate and stop the access of vehicles to the area. Unfortunately, a number of people depended on vehicular access to enjoy the river were affected by this measure. However, one should blame those who abused their privilege to use the area, and not the Council of our City who took measures to halt the environmental abuse.
Fernando and Paulina Selles
Chilliwack Field Naturalists
