Honks of support rang out along a section of Highway 97 Sunday afternoon where about a dozen people gathered to protest a recent piece of provincial legislation.
The Park Amendment Act, also known as Bill 4, was voted into law March 24, and it has critics concerned that it opens up the door for potential industrial activities in provincial parkland.
Armed with signs, residents assembled outside the constituency office of Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris before moving to line the nearby stretch of Highway 97 on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
"It's nice to see the community getting involved and showing what they care about," said organizer Charissa Callahan.
Morris was not in his office during the demonstrations, but Callahan said he is the type of person who should be on side with the cause.
"Mike Morris he was in law for over 30 years, so I believe he would stand up for what is just, and also he enjoys being in nature himself," Callahan said. "So I figured who best to have on our side than somebody who actually loves being in B.C. and being in B.C. parks."
Kasandra Christie came out Sunday to show her support because she was "not very comfortable with the way [the government] went about the bill," and said there should have been public consultation.
The legislation adds provisions to the Park Act to allow for feasibility studies for roads and highways, pipelines, transmission lines, telecommunications projects in parks or conservancy areas.
"If anything is, sacred it starts with our park," said Mary MacDonald. "And once we allow industrial development in the parks, where are we going to stop this?"
The parts of the Parks Act that currently prohibit industrial activity in parks are not part of the changes, Environment Minister Mary Polak has said. Rather, the changes will allow the government to issue research permits for academic purposes or as part of an environmental assessment.
"Recent suggestions that future mining or forestry or other industrial operations will be allowed in parks are simply not true," she said in an op-ed last month.
