Trail shenanigans warrant critical review

Re: “B.C. to complete purchases of land along trail,” April 7. I have to wonder why the taxpayers of B.C. are bailing out a private landowner who acquired land from Western Forest Products in 2008 in hopes of getting it rezoned for tourist accommodations. The auditor general was critical of the government’s decision to allow WFP to remove the land from the tree-farm licence, as was the Capital Regional District, which eventually turned down the rezoning request.

The government refuses to disclose the price tag for the land deal until the sale closes.

So WFP benefited from the original political decision to allow sale of the land, the purchaser who could not obtain the required rezoning sells land to the province and the benefit to the taxpayers from both actions is at the very least questionable.

I support the Juan de Fuca Trail, but these political shenanigans warrant critical review.

I hear there is an election campaign underway. John Irving Prince George