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Letter: COVID-19 has revealed a park-access crisis in the Tri-Cities

The Editor, It appears there is a park-access crisis in the Tri-Cities area. I am privileged enough to live in the Village of Belcarra and have park access outside my door.
White Pine Beach has become particularly crowded this year, say locals and politicians.
White Pine Beach has become particularly crowded this year, say residents and park staff.

The Editor,

It appears there is a park-access crisis in the Tri-Cities area. 

I am privileged enough to live in the Village of Belcarra and have park access outside my door. I am very dismayed to see the state of parking so people can access the Belcarra Regional Park. 

Most of the people coming to the park come by car. It appears it is not widely known that the park can be accessed by bus. For safety reasons both Port Moody and the Village of Belcarra have blocked car parking on the roads adjacent to the park. Due to COVID the parking in the designated parking lots has been reduced. Despite signage restricting parking, people continue to park on the roadside, resulting in ticketing and towing of cars. 

This is not acceptable. It seems to me COVID has brought into the light of day the lack of adequate parks in Metro Vancouver for the exploding population in the bedroom communities of Metro Vancouver. 

Port Moody is growing exponentially and there does not seem to be new parkland to accommodate this population. People living in condos should have access to parkland to promote healthy psychological well being. 

It seems to me there has not been consideration of people in this equation. Is the psychological and emotional well being of the population not more important than the tax base? When will the governing bodies wake up and put people first?

Sharmaine vanStaalduine, Belcarra