Dear Editor:
We are a family of five with kids as young as age four.
We love riding in the hills west of Osoyoos for many reasons. It is a great spot for a beginner and has technical areas for the advanced.
I would like to share what it means to be a family who ride dirt bikes and ATV’s.
I speak from experience when I say the majority of ATV owners and riders:
– Care about the environment. We are not out to destroy nature. We are out to see it and have fun in it.
– We ride where they are allowed. We do not ride where it is not permitted.
– The vast majority clean up after themselves. We always take our garbage with us and every time we go out we take someone else’s garbage too.
– We spend time as a family. We are a family of five who rides together. We teach out children to care for our riding area, responsible safe riding practices and the importance of spending time together as a family doing something we all enjoy.
– We take the time to stop to smell the roses. Just because we are riding does not mean we don’t take time to appreciate the plants and wildlife in the area.
– ATV owners get exercise riding. Riding is very physically demanding (much more so than walking) and those who feel otherwise have never had the pleasure of trying it.
– We like to walk too. We aren’t anti-walking.
– We stand up for ourselves. No one would want to be told they can’t do something any more just because a small few think they shouldn’t.
Taking away this riding area will not stop those who are irresponsible from going out and destroying it. Taking it away will only hurt the majority of riders who love the sport and the area we ride.
Elayne Kelly
Osoyoos, B.C.
