Skip to content

Please treat our valley with respect

Have you seen the bumper sticker some Bow Valley vehicles sport threatening that its driver will, ‘come to your town and drive like you?’ Judging by the driving habits of visitors to our valley, if Bow Valley residents actually took up that cause and

Have you seen the bumper sticker some Bow Valley vehicles sport threatening that its driver will, ‘come to your town and drive like you?’

Judging by the driving habits of visitors to our valley, if Bow Valley residents actually took up that cause and went elsewhere to drive like said visitors do here, it would cause absolute chaos. Imagine small towns on secondary roads inundated by leadfoot Bow Valley drivers out to make a point.

August is one to remember for the local Bow Valley Integrated Traffic Unit as RCMP and sherriffs are finding that speeding is out of control on the highways running through the national parks.

Despite all the media coverage of the fiery Highway 63 crash in northern Alberta which killed seven people this spring, despite subsequent reports of pickups racing at 180 km/h on the same road, despite hundreds of tickets being handing out shortly after… speeders continue to recklessly speed there.

In our valley, despite police ramping up efforts to crack down on speeders in August, the speeding ticket total for the month may triple that of July.

There’s something wrong when an RCMP corporal says it’s the worst he’s witnessed in seven years in this valley (page 17).

Perhaps, as is the case with the province’s controversial new, tougher drunk driving law, a harsher stance needs to be taken with speeders. Ringing up hundreds of dollars in speeding tickets apparently isn’t enough, as some drivers obviously view speeding tickets as nothing more than a user fee.

And when speeds reached soar up into the 50 km/h over range, well into the dangerous driving realm, it seems special attention needs to be paid to these speeders.

Education doesn’t seem to be working, speeding tickets don’t seem to be working… Nobody wants increased rules and regulations in our lives, but the speeding situation is dangerous, and apparently becoming even more so.

The issue comes down to nothing more than arrogance and a lack of respect by drivers on our roads.

A similar lack of respect was shown to one of this area’s most popular frontcountry areas last weekend (front page).

Unfortunately, the lack of respect shown to Grotto Canyon last weekend was apparently not due to the out of towners many valley residents like to rail against. From what conservation officers gathered, the group that left behind human waste, feminine hygiene products, beer cans, broken glass and food garbage were largely residents of this valley.

What can you say?

Like drivers that have no respect for speed limits or our highways and byways, those involved in the Grotto incident clearly have little respect for what Mother Nature offers us here.

You’d think they’d know better…

Imagine, if you will, heading into beautiful Grotto Canyon, unaware that partiers had laid waste to the area just prior. Your dog drinks from the creek, your child splashes around in it, unaware that several types of human waste had recently been deposited in it.

Disgusting.

Really, this incident is no more or less than a rave popular at times in many cities; but set in the outdoors. Our outdoors. Our park areas are not the place for this kind of activity.

You want to set up a big party? Book a venue, please don’t impose your illegal activities on the natural areas so many of us embrace. If organizers of this event end up being dealt with harshly, so be it.


Rocky Mountain Outlook

About the Author: Rocky Mountain Outlook

The Rocky Mountain Outlook is Bow Valley's No. 1 source for local news and events.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks