Editor:
I was very disappointed to see that in the Jan. 15 issue, Coast Reporter published a letter about Dakota Ridge without verifying the facts. A quick search of local websites and you would have been able to determine that the cost for an adult wishing to spend a day snowshoeing on the ridge is $31 plus tax. This includes the private shuttle and day pass. Transport from the ferry is $2.25 by bus to Wilson Creek. Hiring a private guide for any backcountry adventure is expensive, but a guided all-day inclusive package is not necessary at Dakota Ridge; the weekend volunteer hosts are very knowledgeable and can provide all the information needed.
Although much of the work done at Dakota Ridge is by volunteers, the fees collected are required to fuel and maintain the equipment, keep the road plowed and pay for improvements. Visitors from Vancouver are important to our local economy and Dakota Ridge is an exceptional venue, where you can spend the day touring the marked trails through old growth forests and meadows overlooking Georgia Strait, rarely seeing another soul.
Although we all understand that letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of the newspaper, accuracy should be verified before publishing views that are ill-informed and potentially damaging to our local economy.
Mike Paddison, Sechelt
