By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Feb. 25, 2012
It was a ‘toothless tiger,’ a ‘poorly worded bylaw,’ a ‘badly enforced policy’.
The recently scrapped $5 trail use event fee is bound to evoke such words from those familar with its possibilities and its untimely demise at the hands of Squamish council.
A yawning gap between its wording and its intention doomed the fee.
The bylaw never made it clear that the fee was meant only for trails.
Instead this is what it said:
“DOS charge an event fees of $5 per participant for events utilizing district owned property, including a trail, road, road allowance easement or rights of way or any other form of municipal property and that such proceeds be placed in a reserve fund specifically for trails construction or maintenance.”
By that wording, any event, from loggers’ sports festival to RBC GranFondo Whistler, was conducted on district property.
It wasn’t just poorly worded.
It was also poorly enforced.
Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Spencer Fitschen found out that out of five events invoiced, only three events had paid the $5 per entrant fee in 2011.
BC Bike Race, Orecrusher, and Test of Metal paid the fees in 2011, while Sea to Sky Trail Ride and Gearjammer were invoiced but had not paid at the time of the FOI.
In 2010, BC Bike Race, MOMAR, and Gearjammer paid the fees, while Sea to Sky Trail Ride was invoiced but didn’t pay.
An utter failure by the district to create a policy framework of enforcement on the $5 fee has cost the town a good opportunity to pump money back into the trails, Fitschen said.
“If this was enforced properly, it could have yielded enough revenue to help our trail infrastructure,” he said.
Coun. Bryan Raiser agrees.
“Implementation was a complete failure,” he said.
I believe it could have worked but much like the trail co-ordinator position – it didn’t work and now we have to move on, look ahead and find solutions.” he said.
Still, everyone wasn’t a fan of the trail fees.
Steve Klassen, owner of Bean Brackendale, said the fees was a good attempt at putting money back into the trail network, but it wasn’t the best way to do it.
“Primarily it puts Squamish at a disadvantage to every other location that doesn’t charge a user fee,” he said.
Cliff Miller, who was one of those who first proposed the fee, said the Test of Metal and other races he organises would still charge $5 fee per entrant and put it into the trail system.
“I still think it’s a good idea,” he said.
Mayor Rob Kirkham didn’t answer questions on why so few events paid the fee and why it wasn’t enforced.
