‘No plans’ to improve safety at troublesome Cathedral Grove parking lot

There are no concrete plans to improve parking or safety at Cathedral Grove aside from the barriers blocking parking. Staff from the province’s ministry of transportation and ministry of environment discussed the provincial park with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) board at their Wednesday meeting. “There’s still more demand for use of the park than there is parking available. The ministry has no plans at this time to extend parking or revisit the options that we started developing back in 2018,” said Michael Pearson from the ministry. In January 2025 the ministry put concrete barriers in place on shoulders of the road to prevent people from parking on the sides of the highway to access the park. “We recognize that that doesn’t solve the problem,” Pearson said. “We have seen some positives from the barrier placement. Not only is there less chaos going on on the approaches to the existing parking lot because there’s no parking on the shoulder, we’re also seeing a lot of park visitors walking behind the barrier. So in terms of pedestrian safety there’s the benefit we’re seeing with that.” Pearson added the ministry could extend the barriers to stop people from parking on the shoulder of the highway farther up, but people would likely continue parking on shoulders farther up if that is done. But directors of the ACRD board said they have seen people, both drivers and pedestrians, make unsafe choices because of the parking situation and a lack of places to turn around. In the 2018 plan, an expanded parking lot and pedestrian overpass were looked at, but are not being considered due to environmental concerns. Beaufort’s board director, Fred Boyko, said safety is more a problem now than it was in previous years. “It’s getting so dangerous,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s increased traffic but the barriers are not solving the problem. And it’s only a matter of time until someone doesn’t slam on the brakes for a family and we wipe out a family.” One solution the ACRD had been examining was an alternative route to Cathedral Grove by rail. Sproat Lake director Penny Cote said the Wesley Ridge fire put a stop to that idea because of the damage done to tracks between Alberni and the park. When asked why ministry staff aren’t looking into solutions for Cathedral Grove, Pearson said they haven’t been directed to from the government. Directors agreed to send a letter to the province asking them to take action on Cathedral Grove. The ACRD will also seek support from neighbouring local governments, First Nations and regional districts.