Cattle company files appeal of ruling ordering public road access to lakes

MERRITT — A legal battle between a B.C. fish-and-game club and one of the world’s largest cattle firms has taken another twist as the two sides fight over access to two public lakes.

Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club director Rick McGowan says the Douglas Lake Cattle Company intends to appeal a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that found the company illegally blocked access to Stoney and Minnie lakes east of Merritt.

McGowan says grounds of the appeal aren’t yet clear and he expects it could be a month or two before the club receives any paperwork.

Fish-and-game club members are disappointed because McGowan says the club has already spent more than $270,000 fighting in court for access to the lakes.

The dispute began nearly three decades ago when Douglas Lake Cattle locked out members of the club by decommissioning and gating a road over its land, even though that was the only route to the lakes.

In a ruling issued in December, Justice Joel Groves found the provincial government retains rights to the lakes, that the fish are public property and public access is required.

The judge chided the province in the decision for failing to protect the interests of British Columbians, writing “it is most unfortunate that all governments holding the obligation of the public trust have failed to take any actions to prohibit what was an illegal obstruction of a public road by a corporate entity, for its own benefit.”