Buntzen Lake parking policy short-sighted, discriminatory

Re: Driving to Buntzen Lake? You'll soon need to reserve a parking spot

Many of the Buntzen year-round visitors are hikers, not beachgoers. The new parking policy will make it impossible for many hikers to enjoy some of the best hikes in the Lower Mainland, such as Diez Vistas, Halvor Lunden, Lindsay Lake, Swan Falls, Dilly Dally and Croker Lookout.

Some of those hikes can take more than four or five hours. Unless you are exceptionally fit, you're now going to be unable to enjoy those trail networks owing to the amount of time it can take to complete them.

In that respect, B.C. Hydro's announcement is short-sighted and discriminatory. It's a disaster for average hikers, slower hikers and families. Members of the group I hike with come from all over Metro Vancouver, from Langley to Kitsilano to Deep Cove, so public transit isn't practical.

I think it's fair to ask if B.C. Hydro bothered to consult with any of its regular park users before embarking on this policy. I look forward to more coverage of this emerging issue. Facebook pages such as I Love Port Moody might provide some interesting discussion as the effect of this policy becomes more widely understood.