SaskParty Says NDP Policy Hurting Outfitters

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 15:21

 

 

The Saskatchewan Party is throwing its support behind northern outfitters and cabin owners upset over the province’s so-called “let it burn” policy.

 

Under guidelines introduced last year, forest fires north of the Churchill River that are not within 20 kilometres of a community are left alone.

 

Saskatchewan Party MLA Glen Hart says he has received numerous requests from camp operators to pressure the NDP government to re-visit its policy.

 

Hart says the damage caused by a group of fires about 100 kilometres north of La Ronge is proof the policy is not working.

 

Outfitter Wayne Galloway says the measure is essentially putting him out of business — as clients continue to cancel bookings because of a fire that’s threatened his camp in the last week and charred the surrounded forest.

 

Another outfitter northwest of La Ronge says he worries a fire near his camp will leave his business in ruins.

 

Blair Nelson owns a pair of cabins and some boats at Banyard Lake south of Paull River.

 

He says that while his camp is still intact, much of the woods nearby is going up in smoke.

 

Nelson says in the past those flames would have been doused, but the provincial government isn’t acting to save camps like his anymore.

 

Nelson says his guests were forced to leave once the flames broke out.

 

He wonders if anyone else will bother showing up to a black forest.

 

Meanwhile, cottage owner in the same region says he’s disgusted by the failure of the Saskatchewan government to save his cabin from flames.

 

Danny Langlois owned a small cottage 50 kilometres north of Missinipe.

 

However, just this past week, it burnt down after a forest fire was allowed to roam through the woods near it.

 

Langlois says he didn’t know the government’s new fire policy didn’t cover cabins like his.

 

The Moose Jaw resident says he isn’t sure if he will vacation in the North anymore.