Editor:
I lived in West Sechelt for seven years. In 2002, I was lucky enough to adopt a mature black lab retriever. For the next four years, we'd often cross Highway 101 between Derby and Norwest Bay roads, then continue on down to the beach by way of a gently sloping deer path.
The beach was almost always deserted, though rich with birds, driftwood and the music of the sea. I'd walk home singing, my contented mutt keeping quiet time with his tail.
Last weekend we returned to our old stomping-grounds with a friend, eager to visit "our" beautiful beach. My pooch was ecstatic, though now sporting silver spats, a sterling muzzle and a slight loss of spring in his grizzled legs.
What a shock when we arrived to find the trail obliterated, replaced by "beach access." This gravelled, graded, mini-highway "improvement" proved a painful descent, thanks to countless jarring artificial steps. Adding insult to injury, upon reaching the ocean end of this unhelpful, intrusive, probably pricey and slightly absurd setup, a disgusting porridge of putrescent orange sludge blocked our way. Sticky spill from this had created a wide slime rink over what had once been an easy step-down to the beach.
We had to turn back. None of us left the beach singing; we didn't even get to it. As for trail building - in my opinion, deer do it better.
Janice Williams
Gibsons
