To the Editor:
After reading both “Trails society promotes potential walking path to Creston town council” and wildlife area communications director Carla Ahern’s concerns, in the March and April I Love Creston magazines, whether it is dogs (and their owners) causing problems at the wildlife centre or on any town or Regional District of Central Kootenay lands, face it: Stepping in dog droppings or having unrestrained pets unduly stressing wildlife is not acceptable. A few years back, I moved here from Golden simply because I love the outdoors and this is one of the most beautiful areas in B.C., with the highest potential. When I left there, Golden had far more trails and access to its beautiful areas than this wonderful valley we live in.
There are many people in this valley who value access to natural areas, and love hiking. Arrow Mountain (what some call Goat Mountain) could (and should) be a mecca for those who love these activities, not to mention the building of a path from the old ferry crossing all the way to the dike road at Duck lake or upgrades to Mount Thompson (and the trail across the top of the Skimmerhorns). Having people take their pets to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area is, at best, problematic, as indicated by Ahern, and though it is a move ahead, a mere half-kilometre trail should be only the tip of the iceberg relative to what this area really needs, instead of “an informal network of paths in the area, beaten down by pedestrians.”
We hear about this type of infrastructure happening in Nelson and Castlegar, and many other places in our Central Kootenay area, but I personally feel we have a far more beautiful area with much more potential. If it is done it right, Creston could really benefit in terms of ecotourism, rather than the money grab aspects of the tourist industry (which, fortunately, we don’t have much of). I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love the small-town feel of Creston, and although the area is moving ahead, we have to strive to protect the wonderful features of this area — and no, I won’t go into the discussion of repairing or repainting our heritage grain elevators or the removal of the eyesore bunker. Let’s just move ahead!
Duncan Simpson
Creston
