To the Editor,
After ignoring the issue for a very long time, Alberni Valley municipal governments and Mosaic Forest Management have yet to spend appreciable effort to make a satisfactory deal on Hole in the Wall. And now a family including four young kids got lost there.
This issue has been kicking around for at least 12 years when late ex-mayor John Douglas and the city council of the day directed staff to contact Island Timberlands (now Mosaic) about providing public access to Hole in the Wall, which is owned by the city.
The city owns a narrow right-of-way between two larger parcels of land. The “hole” is where the right-of-way is. The only access to the "hole" is through private property.
Douglas had a vision for Hole-in-the-Wall to become a tourist attraction, and in that respect, that is what it has become. It is undoubtedly one of the Alberni Valley’s biggest tourist attractions, thanks to many articles and trail apps on the web. I was there on a Victoria Day long weekend afternoon and counted at least 40 people, all from outside the Valley.
There are no longer any signs directing people where to go. When I go there I’m often asked how to get there. The app, AllTrails, shows a veritable rabbit warren of trails in the area. I’m surprised this incident with the family hasn’t happened before.
You’ve also got people driving past the no trespassing signs to shorten their hike to the Hole. Yes, the gate may be open when the West Coast Rangers Black Powder Club members are doing something, but the gate could be closed at any time. It would seem that the intimidating signs at the highway, are routinely ignored.
Now is a good time for the City or the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District to contact Mosaic, as they are reaching out as a company to recreationists who use their lands.
The Chamber of Commerce and Alberni Valley Tourism should be right behind an effort to formalize Hole-in-the-Wall too. At the moment, they can’t promote it as there is no formality to it.
Considering the volume of tourist traffic, the whole corridor over the Hump has a huge potential for outdoor recreation. There will be more each year. They will come regardless of the discouraging access, the scary parking situation, the lack of signage and the abundance of informal trails.
Sandy McRuer,
Port Alberni
