Editor: I wish to respond to Karla Gaffney’s letter to the editor in the June 2 edition of the Outlook and correct some of her statements by providing the true facts of the matter for the readers.
As the owner/operator of a commercial whitewater rafting company on the Kicking Horse River since 1992, I have led negotiations with a range of governments (provincial and federal) and private parties, including CP Rail representatives, regarding access to and protection of all sections of the Kicking Horse River for commercial, as well as recreational paddlers. This has been done while representing my own company and as past president of the Kicking Horse Rafting Outfitters Association (KHROA), a not for profit collective of the commercial whitewater rafting companies on the Kicking Horse.
Ms. Gaffney makes numerous references to the commercial whitewater rafting companies operating trips on the Kicking Horse River as “trespassing” on CP Rail property in order to access the section of the river most often referred to as the Lower Canyon. This statement is untrue.
Speaking on behalf of the other commercial rafting operators, we have never trespassed on CP Rail lands in order to gain access to the river. Suggesting that we have been, or want to, operate our companies in such a fashion is untrue, uninformed and unfair.
Dating back to the mid-1980s, there have been signed agreements in place between CP Rail and the KHROA and its members regarding permissions, procedures and protocols when using and crossing CP lands to gain access to the river. CP Rail had these guidelines and conditions in place for all companies of the KHROA using the Lower Canyon to review, understand and acknowledge prior to the start of every season. These guidelines and conditions are related to safe operations, public safety, procedural protocols and risk management. They were drafted, agreed to and adhered to in a spirit of mutual consideration and co-operation.
Ms. Gaffney states that “Once Transport Canada (TC) officially brought the trespassing issue to CP’s attention, they had no choice but to do something about it.”
This is incorrect.
The issue that TC brought to the attention of CP Rail was a concern for public safety. TC was concerned for safety issues, not trespassing, which of course has never been an issue due to the fact that there have always been agreements in place between CP Rail and the KHROA regarding access.
And, finally, this negotiation for continued access is about more than just commercial rafting. There is a large, and growing, recreational kayaking community that wishes to maintain access to the Lower Canyon. For example, CP’s decision to close all access to the Lower Canyon has negatively impacted the upcoming Kicking Horse River Paddlefest set to be held June 10-12. Recreational kayakers are now unable to access and paddle what has become known as one of the more challenging and exciting sections of whitewater in our area. The event will certainly draw less people this year, and the local businesses will be impacted by the reduction in visitation to the area.
The KHROA is negotiating to find a solution to maintain access for all river users, commercial as well as recreational, and is still hopeful that CP Rail is willing to find a sensible and reasonable solution for the benefit of all parties.
Ted Bilton,
Owner Wild Water Adventures
