麻豆社区

The Yukon government and City of Whitehorse officials are considering options 鈥� including sanctions 鈥� to deal with a trail blazed wider than regulations allow by the Whitehorse Cross-Country Ski Club.

The ski club came under fire in late October after a complaint was filed over a new trail cut between Fish Lake Road and the Fraser Loop at the top of Mount McIntyre.

The trail ended up being about 2.5 metres wide, one metre more than regulations allow.

Ski club volunteers cut the four-kilometre path, but the club has taken responsibility as they did not supervise the activity.

Government officials from land management and forest management, along with a member of the city's planning department, met with ski club officials last week.

Land management director Colin McDowell said discussion pertained to what happened when the trail was blazed, and where the situation goes from here.

The government bodies are "still considering options, including sanctions, for the activities that happened,鈥� McDowell said.

While it is unlikely the situation will go to court, there is the potential for a monetary fine to be issued.

"The ski club, as they said, didn't manage their volunteers well,鈥� McDowell told the Star.

"I trust that that's true and that their original intentions were to build the trail at 1.5 metres. I don't think anybody out there really wants to go hard at this, because there's kind of a sense that it was a mistake and they admit it.

"For the most part we want to move on to what happens next, but there's also recognition that what did happen is not within the rules, and we need to look at what the sanctions would be.鈥�

McDowell said the territorial government received one complaint from a landowner near the trail.

Any possible sanctions will come either via city officials or the government's forest management branch.

City planning technologist Pat Ross said permits should have been received prior to the work being carried out.

"We've talked about the requirements with the ski club for any time you're cutting any kind of tree or vegetation, there is a permit required,鈥� he said.

"It's sort of an awareness campaign of how we can do it better in the future. We want to make sure when these new trails are happening, they're being done properly.鈥�

Permits allow for public review and reinforce the proper technique to salvaging timber and other vegetation.

"When in doubt, come and ask,鈥� Ross said. "We strongly discourage the just do it, and ask for forgiveness later (method).鈥�

Ross said the new ski club trail branches off a perimeter trail and eventually crosses outside the city en route to Fish Lake Road.

He said the planning department will go through an internal review to see what should have been followed from a permitting perspective, before discussing possible mitigation.

The ski club apologized publicly when the issue came to light in late October. Executive director Claude Chabot admitted the club was at fault for exceeding trail width regulations.

The Fraser Loop is popular for its early-season snow for cross-country skiers, and the new trail was blazed to provide easier access to it.