Witnesses needed: court proceedings to reestablish road access to Sooke Mountain Park
With the saltwater crowd asking where the money from the Sooke boat launch fee is going, here's an example:
Since 2010 I have steadily constructed the supporting community planning foundation and lobbied for political support to regain road access to Sooke Mountain Provincial Park, which provides access to Sheilds, and potentially Crabapple & Grassy Lakes. Sheilds & Crabapple have been stocked with cutthroat three or four times since the CRD obstructed the road with a gate in 2001. Support for reestablishing road access is now written into the Sooke Official Community Plan and related parks plan, and two separate council directions have been passed telling Mayor & staff to make it so.
After 13 years of waiting, next week the matter goes to trial. The issue is whether the extension of Harbourview Road is a public road. A key element of our legal position is that it was historically used by the public, and we need witnesses that used the road to go tell the judge how things were.
An early success came a couple of weeks back when the province filed an admission of fact stating Glintz Lake Road is a public road from the highway all the way to Glintz Lake.
The trial starts next week. If you want to fish the lakes once again, or hunt in the provincial park, or just go there for the hell of it, the time is now to step up!
Contact me at 250-642-2917 or
tm@tfmartin.net
or:
Michael R. Scherr, Partner
Pearlman Lindholm
Barristers and Solicitors
Shoal Point at Fisherman's Wharf
201 - 19 Dallas Road
Victoria, B.C., V8V 5A6
Phone: (250) 388-4433
Facsimile: (250) 388-5856
E-mail:
mscherr@pearlmanlindholm.com