The Kinsol is special as it features a 7 degree curve over a low level Howe truss. Immense ,at 145 ft tall and over 600ft in length it is engineering at its finest. From 1920 to 1979 it is said that 5 billion board feet of timber was brought to market from Lake Cowichan's vast reserves over the CNR trestle.
Railway lore has steam engineers getting out and walking over the trestle and waiting for the brakeman to set the trains into motion ,as the bridge at times would sway under the great loads of steam engines and their cargo of massive timber atop the rail cars.The enginemen would then step aboard and slow the train for the brakeman ,who would follow across on foot and join up with the crew!

Could this be the approach to the second potential footbridge that will open the Trans Canada Trail? It seems like a natural site for a second bridge.

Please continue gathering signatures but please mail those petitions you have already collected to Tom Paterson, 5180 Koksilah Road, Duncan V9L 6V6.

In The Pictorial, Peter Rusland reported on last week's visit to the Kinsol by John Horgan, Juan de Fuca-Malahat MLA, B.C. Heritage Minister Olga Ilich and (representing the CVRD), North Cowichan Mayor Jon Lefebure. Horgan stated afterward that Ms. Ilich would "have her officials look at what (provincial) pots of money are available but ultimately the Cowichan Valley Regional District has to be a full partner. The province has a responsibility as owners of the structure and the Trans Canada Trail but local decisions can guide the way we go."

As we all know, the province's Ministry of Transportation has already budgeted $1.5 million for the Trestle's demolition.

Although Ms. Ilich was unavailable for comment to reporter Rusland, Horgan said that she had indicated to him that "money could also be put toward the $4 million it may take to renovate or rebuild the trestle as a tourism and hiking landmark."

He also mentioned the possibility of federal funds in finding money "for a fix by the 2010 Olympics. The challenge for politicians is how to respond in a way that's fiscally responsible while recognizing a benefit that's invaluable for tourism and cultural values. The community has to make sure no stone is unturned in ways to protect this treasure."

At which point he spoke of the possibility of a replacement bridge should the government persist in its claim that the present, original trestle is beyond saving. This is where we part ways with Mr. Horgan. He is to be congratulated for his willingness to work towards completion of the Kinsol crossing but we must convince him that half a loaf isn't good enough. Tourists, particularly Europeans, will not be fooled by an imitation nor will they accept one. The E&N Railway, currently re-inventing itself under new management, is seriously considering tourist excursions to Shawnigan Lake, where cyclists would be dropped off to make their own way to the Kinsol Trestle and north along the Trans Canada Trail. But this only applies if the Kinsol is the real McCoy.

Lethbridge, AL is proud of its trestle, too. Built of steel in 1906, the High Level Bridge took two years to complete and cost $1.5 million. (What a coincidence; that's what the Ministry of Transportation has budgeted to tear down our Kinsol!) and is 1839 metres long, 105 metres high. This compares to 615 feet and 145 feet respectively (you can do the math yourself) for the Kinsol which, of course, is of wood, and took 55 men three years to build at a cost of $26,000.

For the record, the Lethbridge giant required 12,500 tonnes of structural steel and it took 31,920 litres of paint to give its original two black coats.

"This bridge is important," declares the National Archives, "because it is a symbol of Canadian success. At the time the bridge was built the Canadian economy was growing faster than that of the United States, and the High Level Bridge was an example of the growing economic confidence that Canadians were feeling. The bridge today is a unique symbol of Lethbridge and a reminder of the city's past."

Distance isn't the only thing coming between BC's rural communities and
their future in the tourism industry. A lack of available information is
also a barrier according to Dr. Nicole Vaugeois of Malaspina
University-College in Nanaimo and leader of the new Tourism Research
Innovation Project (TRIP).

In June, Vaugeois and a team of provincial and federal partners pooled
$600,000 from various government agencies to work with rural communities to
incorporate tourism as a form of economic development and to prepare for and
benefit from the 2010 Olympic Games. A lot of research conducted in rural
communities involves "experts" meeting with community members. They ask them
specific questions about everything from traditional knowledge to social
issues, and then leave. The community members often don't see what becomes
of their information and don't feel they benefit from such visits. Vaugeois'
project is in reverse. Her team wants to bring information back to
communities.


"There's a wealth of information out there but much of that information
doesn't make it to the people who need it the most," said Vaugeois. "Reports
often sit in academic institutions and provincial offices. The communities
could use this information but right now there is little emphasis on getting
that information out to them. Also, there is no way for rural communities to
share their own strategies and success stories".


"We're going to communities see if there are any research or resources
needed to help develop tourism. We're connecting them with existing
information and the response has been phenomenal." The information she is
specifically interested in helping people with is rural tourism development.
"Most of what makes BC attractive for visitors is generally found in rural
areas," said Vaugeois. "With the lead up to the 2010 Olympic Games we need
to make sure rural communities are ready to benefit from the games."
According to Statistics Canada's Rural and Small Town Analysis Bulletin,
Canada's rural regions were visited by half of Canadian visitors, 39 per
cent of American and 33 per cent of overseas visitors last year.


So far Vaugeois has discovered every community is at different levels of
tourism "readiness". "They are all over the map - there's a lot to learn
about what's working and what's not but there seems to be little or no
connection between rural communities to share that information. We hope to
document and share examples of innovation in tourism so that everyone can
benefit".

At the end of the project, Vaugeois hopes rural BC communities will have
developed social capacity through tourism development and will be in a
strong position to welcome the world for the 2010 Olympic Games.


The first phase of the three-year project started this spring with a
three-and-a-half week study tour to meet with community leaders and tourism
operators in northern BC, Alberta and Northwest Territories. Next year
Vaugeois and her team will conduct a similar tour to rural communities in
Central BC and in the final year she will focus on communities in Southern
BC.


Besides the community visits, Vaugeois will also be developing a web-based
portal for sharing resources on rural tourism development, writing a
question and answer series in rural newspapers, tourism manuals, hiring
student interns to work in different rural regions throughout the province
to mobilize knowledge and host an annual conference called the BC Protected
Areas Research Forum. Some of the partners include Tourism BC, Ministry of
Economic Development, Rural Secretariat, the BC Centre for Tourism
Leadership and Innovation, University of British Columbia, Thompson Rivers
University, College of the Rockies, and the College of New Caledonia.


Author: Nicole Vaugeois
Organization: Malaspina University-College
Contact: vaugeois@mala.bc.ca

Contacts listed below have the power of decision, send then your letters

Bruce Okabe - Deputy Minister
Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts
ph. 250 356-6981
e-mail - Bruce.Okabe@gov.bc.ca


Minister's Office
Honourable Kevin Falcon
PO Box 9055
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria BC
V8W 9E2
Phone: 250 387-1978
Fax: 250 356-2290
e-mail - Minister.Transportation@gems5.gov.bc.ca

Deputy Minister's Office
John Dyble
Deputy Minister
e-mail - DeputyMinister.Transportation@gov.bc.ca

FACT!
Over the past 30 years, Canada has lost 23% of its early buildings in urban
areas and 21% of building stock in rural areas. This rate of destruction is
disturbing both in terms of lost heritage and increased environmental waste.

Natural disasters, neglect or demolition of historic buildings result in the
erosion of our built heritage. The Heritage Canada Foundation lists
endangered historic sites to alert citizens to the vulnerability of many of
our heritage buildings and structures and to solicit aid for their
preservation.

We invite you to send names of heritage properties in your community that
are at risk to: heritagecanada@heritagecanada.org


Hon. Bev Oda - Member of Parliament for Durham - Minister of Canadian
Heritage and Status of Women
Bev Oda was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006.
She has served as the Critic for Canadian Heritage and also been a member of
the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
She wants your view, e-mail - odab1@parl.gc.ca or see her web site -
http://www.bevoda.ca

Dear Mr. Paterson
I read with interest your article of May 7. I live in Vancouver but have
been spending my holidays at Shawnigan Lake since I was 3 years old in 1952.
I first saw the trestle in 1965 when a group of teenagers made a trek to
find the storied trestle. At that time the train was still running and we
felt like those kids in "Stand by Me" as we ventured out on the trestle and
across it. In 1967 I stopped going to Shawnigan Lake for 22 years, but was
lured back with my own young family in 1988. We subsequently bought a house
and lot on the lake and spend many weeks a year at the lake.
Every year we take several pilgrimages to the trestle and we send all our
friends and visitors to see this marvelous structure. It remains
breathtaking to round the corner and see it before you. I am greatly
disturbed by the thought of it being dismantled. I concur with your
sentiment about the destruction of our heritage, albeit a little more recent
than the Coliseum!
I would be very enthusiastic to do anything to help preserve the trestle.
I shall write to a politician friend of mine as a start. Please let me know
if there are other ways I can be of help.
Dr. Charles Kerr