More than 40 members of the public attended the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality meeting on January 19 to discuss their thoughts on a draft bylaw proposal regulating the use of snowmobiles within the municipality boundaries.
Mayor Al Raine said the municipality had been looking into a bylaw at the request of Sun Peaks Resort Corporation, who had concerns about snowmobiles coming within the ski resort boundaries. The municipality had also received complaints from members of the public about snowmobiles operating on municipal roads or on private land.
Raine said the large public turnout was likely due to miscommunication about the issue, and confirmed that the municipality had no plans to develop snowmobile corridors around residential areas.
Raine said the current snowmobile staging area at P6 was seen as a temporary staging area and was too small and often crowded, creating a disincentive for snowmobile users. In the longer term, the development of the east village would allow for a permanent and purpose built snowmobile staging area further along the McGillivray Lake road, outside of the municipality boundaries and away from the ski resort.
Raine said at this stage, no bylaw had been developed, and council was still considering how a bylaw was necessary or how it could be regulated.
“We need to look at the dollars it would cost to chase down this problem, and how big of an issue it is, or does it only happen from time to time?”
Raine said the Motor Vehicle Act prohibits the use of snowmobiles on public roads and said the municipality regularly spoke with the RCMP about enforcing this issue.
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