To ORC’s Member Organizations
We presently have an opportunity to submit a proposal to the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria for a study of the problem experienced by many individual members of our member organizations when they wish to access private timberlands, most notably on Vancouver Island, for fishing, caving, hiking and cycling, among other activities.
We believe that forest companies may not necessarily be consistent in the way they prohibit access, as we understand that in some cases the landowners are prepared to rely on the general commercial liability insurance carried by clubs. We also question whether the recreation exclusions of the Occupier’s Liability Act are being sufficiently taken into account by the companies. Hence our interest in seeking this study.
We have heard of such incidents anecdotally for years but this office has not kept a record of complaints. If any of your members have recent experience of this type of incident could you please forward basic details to this office as soon as possible as I shall be leaving on vacation in a week’s time and need to submit our request before I leave.
Please include the following information for each incident:
Approximate date
Location
Purpose of intended entry
Name of landowner/forest company
Having a record of some recent incidents should assist us with this application for a study and your assistance would be much appreciated.
Jeremy McCall
Jeremy McCall
Executive Director
Outdoor Recreation Council
1101 – 207 West Hastings Street
Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
604-873-5546
“Promoting access to and responsible use of BC’s public lands and waters for public outdoor recreation”