Haynes Point Provincial Park is closed for the season as of today, but it won’t be a closure like in other years.

Back in April when workers were doing excavation work for toilets, artifacts were discovered that led to the conclusion that the location was an ancient burial ground of ancestors of the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB).

Following negotiations between the province and the OIB, an agreement was reached that allowed the park to remain open during the busy summer season. The affected toilets were decommissioned and the government and OIB announced that the park would be closed to camping and day use effective Oct. 1 to allow an archaeological survey to resume.

Haynes Point is not only one of B.C.’s most popular parks for visitors. It is also a popular spot for local residents who walk dogs,  ride bicycles, go birdwatching or take hikes after the gates are closed for the season.

Indeed for cyclists and walkers, the day that vehicle traffic is barred is normally a happy day.

Some residents have asked questions about whether there will be any access to the park at all when the archaeolical work resumes.

It’s a fair question, but it’s one that the Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for BC Parks, has declined to answer despite promising this information a couple of weeks ago.

Certainly we understand the need to secure the archaeological site during the work to keep people from interfering with the work.

But Haynes Point covers a large area and the walking trail near the park entrance, for example, is a long way from the archaeological excavation.

If it is, in fact, necessary to secure other areas, the provincial government should be more forthcoming in explaining this decision to local citizens.

This is, of course, a sensitive issue. If, in fact, parts of the park were once used as a burial ground, the cultural concerns of local First Nations must be respected.

But that respect is more likely to come about if the situation is properly explained to local residents in an atmosphere of transparency.

To date, the only public statement has been a May 22 joint news release from the province and OIB that gave no details on what was discovered.

Nor has there been any public statement clarifying the future of the park, despite rumours that Haynes Point and three other area parks will be operated by the OIB.

Hopefully, the government will make a fulsome statement this week as we’ve been promised some time ago. Anything less is not acceptable.