Use park funds to reopen Paradise
Dear CVRD council:
Apparently the CVRD is collecting only a tiny portion of the monies for parkland purchase that voters approved.
With this in mind, I urge you to restore access to the area of the Cowichan River referred to as “Paradise”, and its environs. This area used to be entered via trails from near Cliffs Road and Wilson, or alternatively from a lane found across Gibbins Road from Carmel.
This was my favourite place to go in the Duncan area to enjoy all seasons in a forested setting. I would very often bring visitors from out of town here for a short hike. (A couple from Sweden once.) Besides forests, one can find here: beaches at great river swimming spots; a canyon with a trail along the top; small waterfalls; different landscapes and types of forests; and, in the spring, wildflowers galore — most impressively trilliums.
Dozens of people used these trails every day and hundreds on hot summer days when the beach was a popular destination.
The two access points for Paradise have been blocked for maybe three to five years since a property that the trails crossed was purchased and huge fences erected (and many trees cut!).
It would be great if the CVRD used its park purchasing money to buy a strip of this person’s land, provide whatever fencing they need, and open up once again this beautiful area to the community. Maybe the province could come on board and make it an extension of Cowichan River Provincial Park.
Warren Chapman
Duncan