The proposal to create a new park in the Cherry Creek Falls area is one step closer to reality after Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett announced the province’s support to have the mineral rights to the land in question returned to the Crown.

Shouting to be heard over the roar of the falls April 8 during a gathering at Cherry Creek featuring Meadowbrook Community Association (MCA) members and regional officials, Bennett praised everyone involved in trying to secure the rights to the 188-hectare mineral claim.

“This is a community driven project. I applaud the community,” Bennett stated, noting that no taxpayer dollars have been spent as the MCA raised the funds to purchase the mineral claim, with the process now in the hands of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

“The tenure holder is going away, I think, reasonably happy. They’re getting their investment back,” Bennett said.

“This is a significant step forward,” said Regional District of East Kootenay Electoral Area E Director Jane Walter. “I would like to thank everyone who has worked on this project including the MLA Bennett, RDEK Staff, the owners of the mineral claim who have been so cooperative, the Ministries of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Energy and Mines, the community of Meadowbrook and all those who donated funds.”

“There are still a number of applications that we will have to go through, but the desire by the Province to see this process continue to move forward has been a critical step,” adds Walter. If the current applications are approved, the RDEK will apply to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations for tenure over 16 hectares of Crown land in the vicinity of the falls for regional park purposes.

Bennett said he became involved in the issue, despite it occurring outside his riding, when Columbia River-Revelstoke Liberal candidate Doug Clovechok contacted him for advice on how he could help the Bob Johnstone and the MCA.

“He’s a royal pain in the ass,” Bennett quipped of Clovechok. “He’s worse than you Bob!”

Clovechok told e-KNOW he was amazed by the immediate impact Bennett had on helping push the project forward and heralded the efforts of the MCA for taking care of the issue as a community and as fairly as possible for the tenure holder.

Lead photo:  Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett (fourth from right), RDEK Vice-Chair Wendy Booth and Electoral Area E Jane Walter (fifth and sixth from right), City of Kimberley Mayor Ron McRae (far left). RDEK Planner Michele Bates (fourth from left), Bob Johnstone of the Meadowbrook Community Association (far right) and other members of the Community Association Board of Directors overlooking Cherry Creek Falls on the snowy morning of April 8. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

e-KNOW/RDEK

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