The District of Sechelt plans to talk with the owners of three lots that hold a portion of Chapman Creek Trail to see if they’d be amenable to creating a right of way to allow public use.
The owners, Iris and Dustin Seabrook and Thomas Leslie Ellison, put up no-trespassing signs on their portions of the trail shortly after acquiring their properties in January, in part to avoid liability for hikers who could get hurt there.
The other reason, Iris said, was to preserve the ecologically sensitive area that was seeing use by people drinking and partying. She said trail users had been spray-painting trees in the area, throwing garbage around, “including underwear and condoms,” and disrespecting the riparian zone by letting their dogs do damage.
To keep the popular trail accessible, the District of Sechelt created an alternative route that takes hikers away from the creek, up past the properties onto Gun Club Road and then back down to the creek-side trail.
But that route hasn’t been embraced by the public, which has been using the popular hiking trail since it was first built in the 1970s.
Sechelt’s parks supervisor, Perry Schmitt, told the public works, parks and environment committee on March 22 that the district has received “a number of complaints” about the reroute.
“They would like to see this trail through the private property reinstated,” Schmitt said. “So we’re asking council for direction to go and meet with the owners and look at possibly getting a statutory right of way through the property.”
Councillors at the committee meeting were on board with Schmitt’s plan and forwarded their approval to council for the final sign-off. “I’m glad that committee’s proceeding in this manner so we can get that trail, if possible, soon up and running and used again,” said Coun. Darren Inkster, who chaired the meeting.
After approval from council, staff will start the discussion with the property owners – but the Seabrooks told Coast Reporter they’re not on board at this point.
“We already provided an easement,” Iris said, noting that easement is being used by the district for the trail reroute.
“The easement in place is safer than the eroding trail with uneven surfaces and various other hazards.”
She noted the district had the opportunity to purchase all three lots for use as a park, which would have secured the trail for future use, but “they didn’t want it.”
“I feel we are the perfect owners for this property because we are standing up for nature and animal habitat,” Iris said.
Ellison did not return calls for comment.
