Re: “DND, cyclists battle over rifle range,” May 18.
The Department of National Defence lands are government property. Hikers and bikers are not entitled to access that property. The fact that the DND has not enforced its boundary access in the past does not mean that those lands are open to the public.
To me, that is not the issue. The issue is that the DND has capriciously decided to close the area, fine anyone found on it, patrol it with military personnel and destroy all bridges within those boundaries. And the reasons are safety within the firing-range boundaries and vandalism.
There is no mention of anyone having been physically affected by live fire for the past 20 years, or specifically what vandalism has taken place. Be that as it may, the DND has shown no willingness to meet with any public representatives to discuss the matter or the timelines to implement such drastic measures.
Lee Venables
Nanaimo
