I write with reluctance, as a physician and intermediate hiker, after an aweinspiring seven days on the inimitable west coast of 91原创 Island with five colleagues. The breathtaking beauty and silence of the rain forest and the ocean tumult at night were unforgettable, as were chance meetings with First Nations who have land and business interests along the way.
The hike is arduous and has significant risks, some clear and natural, but some are disguised and man-made. All hikers sign a waiver acknowledging the risks of injury from irregular, steep terrain, ladders and slippery, rocky beaches where injuries are common, if mostly minor.
Unfortunately, for 25 per cent of their length, boardwalks were treacherous, rotted, shifting and broken. Parks Canada installed the boardwalks to cover wetlands and small gullies. The result is that people, including those in our group, broke through, and in some cases fell, due to cross-pieces that appeared intact but broke or twisted under weight. About 92 people are evacuated each summer due to injury or illness. How many are due to the very infrastructure that purports to assist hikers?
Parks Canada, having built boardwalks, must take responsibility for their maintenance. The state of these is unacceptable. Federal budget cuts contribute to the hazards in this otherwise worldclass attraction and in this respect are penny-wise and pound-foolish.
The trail should be closed until the boardwalks are either repaired or removed to allow people to see clearly what the hazards are, rather than being duped by the appearance of proper boardwalks.
David Swann
Calgary
