Blockade on private roadway to Mt. Kobau dismantled by alleged trespassers

Photo: Contributed

Dismantled blockade at entrance to private roadway leading to Mt. Kobau.

The owner of a portion of road heading to Mt. Kobau in the South Okanagan is disappointed that the roadblock he claims he had every right to put up to block access has been vandalized and removed. 

The road leads from Fairview-Caswton Road to Kobau and falls within the proposed national park reserve. It has been a frequent cut-through access route to the mountain, to the dismay of owner Shawn Baenziger. 

According to an email sent to Castanet from Baenziger, No Trespassing signs have been in place "for years" but were ignored. 

"Over the last couple of years with talks of a national park much more traffic using the private road caused an increased risk to livestock and old growth of timber," reads his statement, claiming that he consulted with BC Wildfire to "find ways to mitigate the wildfire risk."

He says he decided to install two-ton road blocks at the entrance to his road at the height of wildfire danger, sparking instant curiosity from locals and prompting Parks Canada to put out a statement clarifying they were not behind the move. 

But within days of its installation, Baenziger says the blocks were dismantled by "unknown persons" trespassing. 

"Unfortunately, the vandalizing of the roadblock will now call for stricter measures," his statement reads. "It is private land and [I] want to keep it that way."