Rail trail controversy continues in Lake Country

LAKE COUNTRY – Two weeks before the referendum, the rail trail proposal in Lake Country is seeing more trouble on the tracks. One resident, whose 16 acre property is divided by the defunct CN railway that could be turned into a public trail, says he’s worried the right in place protecting his land now will be taken away if the deal goes through.

READ MORE: Lake Country family can stop rail-trail plans in their tracks

“The crossing [on my property] pre-dates the railway,” says Bailey. “It’s protected by the Canada Transport Act currently but if this is bought and changed to a recreation corridor, what’s going to happen with this?”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The crossing [on my property] pre-dates the railway," says Bailey. "It's protected by the Canada Transport Act currently but if this is bought and changed to a recreation corridor, what's going to happen with this?"

Bailey says there are too many unanswered questions and that’s why he is against the project, which would link Kelowna and Vernon for bicyclists and joggers.

“What’s going to happen with the access to my house and my garage and all of these things? And this is just me. Each property owner has their own set of issues,” says Bailey.

Lake Country will go to referendum to seek approval to borrow up to $2.6 million to pay for purchasing the portion of the corridor that runs through their municipality.

On Friday, the province said its willing to spend over $7 million on the project, but only if the yes side wins in the upcoming referendum. Lake Country’s Mayor says the future of the project is uncertain if the referendum is rejected by voters.

Bailey says there has been a lack of public consultation on the matter.

However Baker says the district has done as much public consultation as they have with other issues dealing with borrowing funds. As for Bailey’s concerns about his property rights, Baker says that’s in the hands of the rail line.

“CN is selling us the corridor unencumbered so they have to deal with all of the issues of the property owners and we are just asking to borrow to be able to buy,” explains Baker.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "CN is selling us the corridor unencumbered so they have to deal with all of the issues of the property owners and we are just asking to borrow to be able to buy," explains Baker.

Bailey says residents should continue to follow the issue closely and ensure council hears their opinion.

“If you’re voting yes and you think you’re going to have a nice recreation place for your grand kids and great grandkids, you should be involved in the process to make sure that when it’s planned and developed, you get that,” says Bailey.

The referendum will be held on April 25th. Baker says there will be a public consultation on the project on Monday at 6 p.m. at Creekside Theatre in Lake Country.