It is a pity that the ski trails cannot be tracked as they were in the past. Last year there was a similar episode that was resolved but now the arguments are out in public for all to see.
I must note that the cuts in the fencing seemed to be well used by the dog walkers and the major cut in the fence had skidoo, not cross-country ski tracks using it. I did ski around both the upper and lower river lot to see what the fuss was about. The lower river lot is not bad, though the track has been walked on and the dogs have been out.
The upper river lot is not as tracked with at least four significant trees impinging on the trails. A cut tree is actually leaning over the trail and I can see where someone would want this removed if they were grooming the trail. Overall the trails were less user-friendly and more likely to cause injury than in previous years. Fewer birds than normal were seen and this may be because all the bird feeders have been removed.
My concern is that a valuable resource for Nordic skiing is not able to be used as before. This may be a result of "friction" between personalities and group objectives. I must ask how a single small group of people managed to get control of a public resource. In the end the government has the control of River Lot 56 and has chosen not only to cede control of River Lot 56, but has chosen who to give that control to.
If the government has set up a system where they hand out control and are unable to evaluate the group and control the group it gives resources to, then the government has failed to set up an effective mechanism. If the River Lot 56 Natural Area Society is doing just what the government wants, then we as voters must use this data to evaluate the government. But if the government is able to get both sides together and correct the impasse, then they are a functioning government.
Pat Cisar, St. Albert
