The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club's applying for an expansion of its area off Otway Road has raised the concerns of some neigbhours in Miworth.
Nordic club director Jim Burbee sent a letter to Prince George City Council requesting a letter of support for the expansion application to accompany the club’s submission to the provincial government.
“During the first year of COVID, the club waived usage fees for the general public and the following year membership surged to 2,800 members, which has since trailed off to 2,500 but overall, there has been a sustained increase in membership as well as day users,” said Burbee in the letter.
"We have identified an equivalent area of land on the west side of Cranbrook Hill that is the only remaining Crown land that is adjacent to the Otway Nordic Centre. There is also a small hectare block that would enhance our dog friendly ski trails. We want to establish formal operating access to these land parcels to ensure the longevity of our facility and the services that it provides to the community."
He said the proposed use is to expand the ski trail network and offset the incremental loss of ski trails that are located on private land.
“We have obtained a letter of support from the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and are hoping to obtain similar letters from both the city and the Regional District of Fraser Fort George as the property of interest lies partially within both jurisdictions.”
However, some property owners in the area are raising concerns over the possible development in the area.
“In 2020, orange flagging appeared in the mature forests (Crown lands) behind our houses, indicating logging plans. We learned that a member of the CNSC board had marked out a five-metre wide road-like “trail” there,” explained Miworth resident Michelle Connolly in a letter written to mayor and council.
“In 2021, sixteen property owners in our neighbourhood wrote to the CNSC board and the Province of BC expressing serious concern about the threat of fire to our properties if the clearing of this mature forest for a road went ahead...”
She said CNSC is gathering support letters for its application with the province without speaking to the property owners who would be directly affected by the proposed plan.
“I request that you do not provide a letter of support for the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club’s application without first understanding our concerns with their expansion plan, in particular the heightened risk of fire to our properties,” said Connolly.
“The current mature forest stays cooler and moister than the surrounding developed areas, which protects our neighbourhood from fire.”
City council will address the letter at its next public meeting tonight (Aug. 16) starting at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
