Dikes, trails and a visionary project on the Fraser River
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Globe and Mail
There are more than 300 kilometres of dikes snaking along the banks of the Fraser River and most of them – until recently – have been open to the public.
Dating back to the 1800s the dikes were built as a last line of defence against floods, but they have also long been used as popular recreational trails. People use them to go jogging, dog walking, birding, biking or fishing. Raised up above the flood plain, they provide perfect walking routes across some of the most beautiful urban and rural landscapes in the country. On a sunny day in Richmond you will see thousands of people out on the estuary dikes, which the locals know are just as amazing, and far less crowded, than Vancouver's famous Stanley Park sea wall walk.
Earlier this year, in recognition of the great recreational opportunities provided by the dikes, the provincial government put $2.5-million in to a special “Experience the Fraser” project, which is improving and integrating a system of dike-top trails from Hope to the Strait of Georgia.
The project, championed by Randy Hawes, a Liberal MLA from the Fraser Valley, aims to turn the Fraser River dike system into the greatest urban/rural trail system in North America.
It's a big, visionary project and it's one Mr. Hawes can't help but get excited about as he describes it.
“We're having meetings. It's happening … everyone is on board,” says Mr. Hawes, whose idea is to connect the dikes to already existing park trails, to make access improvements and to “promote the region as one of the great river communities of the world.”
He sees the day when you will be able to hike or bike your way all the way from the Richmond waterfront to Hope, camping and visiting native cultural centres and perhaps staying at farm-based B and B's as you go.
“If you bring people close to the river they start to understand the environmental importance of it … they get back in touch with the history of the river,” he says. “And it opens up all kinds of tourism opportunities.”
Right smack in the middle of this developing trail system, however, something surprising has appeared. Big “No Trespassing” signs have been posted on the Dewdney Dike, which runs along the north bank of the Fraser, starting near Hatzic Lake, and takes an S-shaped curve up around Nicomen Island. It is a 12-kilometre stretch of dike that provides stunning views of the river, eagle nesting areas, farm fields and salmon spawning beds.
Mr. Hawes was surprised when he was told about the signs, posted by the Dewdney Area Improvement District, and said he'd look into it right away.
Carl von Einsiedel, Chair of the DAID, said the signs went up because the organization, which is privately funded by about 500 property owners, couldn't cover liability insurance.
Mr. von Einsiedel said there were also concerns about the public damaging the dike by driving ATVs on it, and vandalizing or violating the security of adjacent farms.
But the cost of insurance, he insisted, is the main reason for the no trespassing postings.
“We would have to go to the private market [for insurance] – and it's prohibitively expensive,” he said.
Mr. von Einsiedel added that the issue of public access is not at the top of DAID's agenda. His members are far more concerned at the moment with finding $4.6-million to alleviate a flooding problem caused by silt in Hatzic Lake and by inefficient pumps in Dewdney Dike.
But DAID might want to reconsider its priority list. It doesn't seem like a good strategy to ask the province for millions of dollars of public funds, while at the same time putting no trespassing' signs on a dike the province wants to see developed as part of a great trail system.
Speaking for background only, some DAID members said Dewdney Dike is private property and the district members don't need to share it with the public. But from Richmond to Hope, municipal and regional governments are embracing the provincial trail project. It would be a shame if DAID blew a 12-km hole in the dike plan.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/dikes-tra…
Dating back to the 1800s the dikes were built as a last line of defence against floods, but they have also long been used as popular recreational trails. People use them to go jogging, dog walking, birding, biking or fishing. Raised up above the flood plain, they provide perfect walking routes across some of the most beautiful urban and rural landscapes in the country. On a sunny day in Richmond you will see thousands of people out on the estuary dikes, which the locals know are just as amazing, and far less crowded, than Vancouver's famous Stanley Park sea wall walk.
Earlier this year, in recognition of the great recreational opportunities provided by the dikes, the provincial government put $2.5-million in to a special “Experience the Fraser” project, which is improving and integrating a system of dike-top trails from Hope to the Strait of Georgia.
The project, championed by Randy Hawes, a Liberal MLA from the Fraser Valley, aims to turn the Fraser River dike system into the greatest urban/rural trail system in North America.
It's a big, visionary project and it's one Mr. Hawes can't help but get excited about as he describes it.
“We're having meetings. It's happening … everyone is on board,” says Mr. Hawes, whose idea is to connect the dikes to already existing park trails, to make access improvements and to “promote the region as one of the great river communities of the world.”
He sees the day when you will be able to hike or bike your way all the way from the Richmond waterfront to Hope, camping and visiting native cultural centres and perhaps staying at farm-based B and B's as you go.
“If you bring people close to the river they start to understand the environmental importance of it … they get back in touch with the history of the river,” he says. “And it opens up all kinds of tourism opportunities.”
Right smack in the middle of this developing trail system, however, something surprising has appeared. Big “No Trespassing” signs have been posted on the Dewdney Dike, which runs along the north bank of the Fraser, starting near Hatzic Lake, and takes an S-shaped curve up around Nicomen Island. It is a 12-kilometre stretch of dike that provides stunning views of the river, eagle nesting areas, farm fields and salmon spawning beds.
Mr. Hawes was surprised when he was told about the signs, posted by the Dewdney Area Improvement District, and said he'd look into it right away.
Carl von Einsiedel, Chair of the DAID, said the signs went up because the organization, which is privately funded by about 500 property owners, couldn't cover liability insurance.
Mr. von Einsiedel said there were also concerns about the public damaging the dike by driving ATVs on it, and vandalizing or violating the security of adjacent farms.
But the cost of insurance, he insisted, is the main reason for the no trespassing postings.
“We would have to go to the private market [for insurance] – and it's prohibitively expensive,” he said.
Mr. von Einsiedel added that the issue of public access is not at the top of DAID's agenda. His members are far more concerned at the moment with finding $4.6-million to alleviate a flooding problem caused by silt in Hatzic Lake and by inefficient pumps in Dewdney Dike.
But DAID might want to reconsider its priority list. It doesn't seem like a good strategy to ask the province for millions of dollars of public funds, while at the same time putting no trespassing' signs on a dike the province wants to see developed as part of a great trail system.
Speaking for background only, some DAID members said Dewdney Dike is private property and the district members don't need to share it with the public. But from Richmond to Hope, municipal and regional governments are embracing the provincial trail project. It would be a shame if DAID blew a 12-km hole in the dike plan.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/dikes-tra…