Author: lacdesroches

Friends of Lac des Roches & Birch Lake report that Interlakes residents can take a stand against the huge development being considered for Lac des Roches, Birch and Montana Lakes, by downloading a petition form their website at <a href=”http://www.lacdesroches.org”>www.lacdesroches.org</a>

Completed petitions should be returned to Friends by mid-April, and all will be forwarded to the provincial government in May.

The BC Fly-fishing Association has placed the question on their upcoming annual general meeting agenda and the fishing media in general is following up on the disastrous potential.

Friends are being careful not to overlook one possible positive of any such development – increased enrolment at Bridge Lake School – and are investigating this aspect.

It should be noted that the area in question is actually in the Thompson Nicola Regional District, but the abutting Cariboo Regional District (which serves part of these lakes and the rest of Interlakes) has previously designated Lac des Roches a “sensitive lake.” It continues to voice its unanimous opposition to any large-scale development.

To become a member of Friends, or for information, call Bill at 593-9305.

To the Editor:

This is the kind of story that destroys people’s idea of beautiful BC.

The idea of needlessly destroying pristine crown land waterfront in order for a developer to make a quick buck should be unthinkable in BC. When the development is in full view from Highway 24, which is known for its picturesque wooded lake-viewpoints, makes this even more unbelievable.

I would like to add our names to the list of people against this proposed development on Lac des Roches.

We have been summer residents there wince 1998 and cannot believe that something the size of the “500 single-family unit and two hotel/resort complexes” would even be proposed on this quiet little lake.

Watershed crown lakefront land should be conserved and not destroyed by needless development especially on such an environmentally sensitive lake.

Thank you for your time and concern.

The Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake membership now number 108.

Petitions against the Crown’s potentially massive development on the lakes will be forwarded to the premier’s office in early May. Petitions can be downloaded from the group’s Web site at www.lacdesroches.org and returned by mid-April. Glorious photos at this site are carried by kind permission of Larry Citra.

There is now a link to the site from that of the Canadian Wilderness Society, and BC Lake Stewardship Society’s site (www.bclss.org) which is informative.

The fishing media and B.C. Fly-Fishing Association have become aware of the situation and are following up. The group will attend Vernon’s outdoor show in May.

Friends’ Jan 26 meeting considered whether to become a registered society at a potential cost of over $1,000 which was deemed prohibitive, however, member feedback is requested. Such registration is necessary if the group wishes to apply for alternative use of Crown land.

A number of issues were discussed at the latest Cariboo Regional District meeting.

Lakeshore policy adopted: The Cariboo Regional District Board adopted a Shore-land Management Policy which is intended for new and existing owners who wish to subdivide or rezone lakeshore property. The policy will not affect existing lakeshore landowners who intend to keep their property in its present condition.

The policy will preserve the water quality of lakes and watercourses within the CRD, manage shore-land development for wildlife habitat; preserve the aesthetic quality; provide shore-land access to the public where appropriate to reduce conflict with landowners; and determine suitable areas for shore-land development.

(From the Cariboo Regional District board meeting Nov. 5:)

The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) updated its commitment to environmental protection with the adoption of a new Shoreland Management Policy.

The policy is intended for new and existent lakeshore owners wishing to subdivide or rezone their properties. Existing owners keeping their properties in their present condition will not be affected.

The CRD Communications officer, Heidi Frank, said the new policy will: preserve the water quality of lakes and watercourses within the CRD, manage shoreland development for wildlife habitat, preserve the aesthetic quality, provide shoreland access to the public where appropriate to reduce conflict with landowners, and determine suitable areas for shoreland development.

To the editor:

Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake is a group of local people in opposition to the proposed development on these and other lakes.

The province of British Columbia wants to sell off crown land and through its agent, Land and Water B.C. Inc., along with the Thompson Nicola Regional District, has identified these lakes to develop an estimated 228 homes, cluster cottages, two hotels, a wilderness trail system and possibly a golf course.

This undertaking on these lakes, which are pristine and in a pristine wilderness area, would wreak devastation upon the environment and the quality of life in an area without the capacity for such a massive growth factor.

The Cariboo Regional District, which shares 60 per cent of Lac des Roches, has designated it as “highly sensitive” since 1984.

Yet the government of British Columbia and Land and Water B.C. Inc. continue to storm ahead with their plan against the will and opposition of the people.

The province is selling off large areas of Crown land through Land and Water B.C., but there has been little or no public discussion of the process, says Barry Reid, chair of the Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake.

“If the public doesn’t know about it, the only people who will benefit will be the real estate developers,” he said.

Last year the Crown corporation sold $50 million worth of Crown land, and the goal is to sell over $65 million this year, according to Reid.

“It’s going on, but no one in B.C. has had a discussion about whether Crown land in the province should be privatized … I don’t think it’s a good idea. This is the heritage of our children and grandchildren. It shouldn’t be a way for government to put money into its treasury.”

The process of deciding which Crown land is surplus and who makes the decision is vague, he said. This leads to the danger of inappropriate use, he said.

Reid first became aware of Lands and Water B.C.’s plans a few months ago when he saw an ad about the Eagle Island development at Lac des Roches.

The proposal would involve 228 strata properties, large and small, near the lake.

The ambiance of the lake would be destroyed if the proposal went ahead, he felt.

Public meetings have been held at Little Fort and Interlakes, but the impression the people who attended were left with was there was nothing they could do about the development.

Interestingly, the proposal has had to be modified because part of the lake is in Cariboo Regional District, with the remainder in Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

The CRD has classified the lake as sensitive, while according to the TNRD it is a development lake. Because of the CRD lake regulations, all the development now would be restricted to the TNRD portion, Reid reported.

Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake plan a meeting on the topic at Bridge Lake Community School on Nov. 24, starting at 7 p.m.

The Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake are ready to take on the task of protecting the lake they call home from excessive development.

The grassroots organization recently established its board, and is now making plans as to hoe to proceed in its attempt to keep a handle on a development proposal being pursued by the Crown corporation, Land and Water British Columbia Inc. (LWBC).

The proposal would see the sale of lakefront Crown land for the development of up to 98 residential properties around Lac des Roches, 130 at Birch Lake and 61 at Montana Lake. Recreation facilities such as a golf course and hotel have also been mentioned.

The friends’ group will soon be circulating a petition throughout the Cariboo as well as in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District asking for support from stakeholders.

“They’ll go to as many stores as will accept them,” said Bill Jollymore, who sits on the Friends’ executive. “Especially people who are interested in the sporting affairs like hunting, fishing and boating. Anybody who would be affected by such a development.

Jollymore said the plan is to have 3,000 – 4,000 signatures to deliver to the office of Premier Gordon Campbell prior to the May 2005 provincial election. He said that in circulation, the petitions will inform the public as well.

“It’s a matter of getting the word out and getting enough people on board and enough people informed,” said Jollymore, who added that even locally it’s been difficult to get people involved. “There seems to be a situation here I call Cariboo apathy. People that should be enraged by this just don’t seem to care. They’re not for it, but they’re not saying anything against it.”

Jollymore’s frustration with local apathy hasn’t lessened his passion for stopping the scale of development proposed by LWBC.

The Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake will be holding its next public meeting Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in Bridge Lake School.