Dear Editor,
It’s astonishing to those of us that live around Minette Bay that the DoK Administration have encouraged the town to believe that there is ready and righteous access to the bay along the roads in the northwest, this without contacting any of the four property owners that own the entirety of the roads at Minette Bay.
They seem to just assume that they can use the roads that others own, and that Minette Bay Lodge maintains, clears the snow and insures at its cost.
Legal access is a complex issue in this region and there seems to be no interest by DoK to understand it…they simply have a Robert Mugabe attitude to others’ lands…’what’s yours is mine’.
There is now little chance of an agreement for public access. There seems to be no interest by DoK in engaging the local land owners in the public interest.
What has also not made public by DoK administration, even perhaps to Council, is that as a part of the original gift of lot 471 to the town by Alcan, access would only be allowed only from the south west when the ‘Lands beyond’ clause is enacted on the completion of that phase of the lovely Strawberry Meadows project.
It’s also astonishing that DoK and Council plan to press ahead with this park when so few have shown an interest, and plan to bill taxpayers in town a million dollars.
If certain egos wish a legacy project, then the riverside camping problem and the two parks would be much better projects to put their names to .
I took a citizen in the public eye down there last night and he was astonished that such a windy, muddy and pongy place was even contemplated for expenditure…as he said, ‘you could never have a wedding down here’.
Now if the DoK Admin had come to discuss the matter with the landowners at the outset we might now be in a different place.
Their lack of respect for those of us that happen to own land here is despicable, and it would appear that some in Administration have decided from the outset that they were going to ram this down everyone’s throats come what may.
There was a third episode of destruction of fish habitat recently since the removal of the 15 year barrier, about which I’m sure fisheries will be extremely upset…perhaps due to an emboldened citizenry who feel empowered by the authority’s demands and lack of respect for private property owners.
Ruth and I have always encouraged the use of our paths by the walking public, though sadly few take advantage of them, and we’ve never objected to walkers on our part of the road, but we really object to litter, vandalism, and are much afraid of fire which has already nearly cost us everything that we’ve worked so hard for.
We have no confidence that the DoK would be able to keep this part of town safe and pristine.
Yours, Howard and Ruth Mills
Minette Bay Lodge