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Something needs to change or everyone is just going to stop coming on here all together. Everyone I know has pretty much stop using the forums because of all the negativity. I feel like these forums have always been so informative,entertaining and engaging. It would be such a shame if one lame duck brings down the whole thing. I don't think paying would work, but linking your profile to your Facebook account would. Secondly, this isn't a democracy, it's a business and if I owned this website I would ban a couple users for sure. Eventually this guy is going to start effecting your pocketbook and why would you want that? I say trim the fat.

Agree with this. I think the idea of having a forum for discussing MTB on the North Shore is fantastic. But as a DNV resident who rides a bike on the shore, I can't participate in this forum very much if at all without getting a really bad taste in my mouth.

I wouldn't lay it all on 'Uncle Scrooge' as I got really turned off this forum around the time of the Lee/Woodro slappy fight. Once that had died down I started going to nsmb.com a bit more again, as the content on the front page is generally great and I enjoy the writing. But if I'm on the site I'll eventually click the forum link - and now the really nasty tone of trolls like 'scrooge' is giving me an even worse taste than the ridiculous Lee/Wood thing did.

As someone who has participated in many different internet forums for years, I find that while people bitch about a heavy handed moderation strategy, at some point it becomes necessary. I appreciate that the NSMB mods are staying true to an original vision for the forum, but this place isn't 'big' enough to survive that kind of hands-off approach, especially when it's become the vehicle of choice for some really fucked up peoples' weird agendas.

Eventually enough people get turned off and give up and the forum goes dead. It basically already has in my view. I'm sure there are traffic stats that could prove or disprove this.

tl;dr would love to read and participate on these forums more, but can't until the trolling is reduced. Hope that happens soon.

I have never voted in a municipal election. That will change come next election. I am not going to be the only one. Given the great work Mathew Bond is doing for us here I suspect he will win in a landslide. If there happens to be anyone else running for council who may be posting here in lets just say a less helpful way than Councilor Bond, well…good luck next time. You are going to need it.

Vote counts from the last DNV election are available on the DNV website. Let's just say that the candidate in question has a few other candidates to worry about long before he's in competition with Mathew Bond…

In case anyone thinks Bond has the inside contact with MP Terry Beech, everything Bond is posting on his Facebook etc is not proprietary. He is just cut and pasting from Beech's web site LOL.

http://tbeech.liberal.ca/news-nouvelles/mt-seymour-signs-and-cmhc/

Who do these DNV municipal stooges think they are fooling LOL

There is going to be a Land Use study. land use means a much broader scope than trails. When we need the A-team, we get Bond, Muri and Walton. What an abomination. I have made clear to more senior levels of government that the three stooges do not represent me!

Uncle Scrooge

Occam's razor my friend. What's more likely, that Bond is cut and pasting from the MP's website and fabricating a situation where he is communicating with the MP directly, or that the MP's office has settled on some boilerplate language for their comms on the situation and is responding to any and all inquiries with that language, in addition to posting it on their website?

Given that I emailed Mr. Beech a week ago and have the exact same language (as in verbatim) sitting in my inbox from Mr. Beech's communications person… you can guess which scenario I'm betting on.

I know, I know, dnftt. It was right over the plate tho.

Another example of how staying under the radar is best.

That's just not possible in a city in this connected age. The NSMBA are doing things right - reaching out, engaging, getting everyone involved and working with all associated groups.

Staying under the radar may have been possible 20 years ago (even then, the history shows it may not have been even then). It just isn't today.

So it's Monica's fault that families are now banned from hiking and walking on Lower Seymour? I'm sure all those parents and kids living in Blueridge are just thrilled and lining up to thank her for that.

Another group to possibly reach out to would be the organizers of the local trail running races held on those trails - the Knee Knacker, Mountain Madness, etc.

Thanks for this update Matthew.

I wrote a letter to my MP (Jonathan Wilkinson) and CC'd Terry Beech and Jean-Yves Duclos (the Minister responsible for CMHC). I tried to focus on the lack of engagement with the community, which I consider the 'core' issue here. The signs are just a result of that lack of engagement. Even if the signs were taken down tomorrow, the status quo is unacceptable.

This is a crown corporation and they should be beholden to the taxpayer at the end of the day. That's you and me. Our MP's have a duty to hear our concerns and respond. I really encourage anyone who uses these trails to take the 10 minutes out of your day and write a respectful but firmly worded letter to Mr. Beech and if applicable your own MP as well.

Great post Cam, and I want to highlight your remark here ^^^.

As I have learned, no one can assume to have perfect information. Those with the most information on what is going on is the Land Manager and the trail association.

Trail associations and their Directors have responsibilities under the law as to information dissemination and privacy. Their relationship with the Land Manager is very important. So careful, considered steps are taken to maintain and grow that relationship- PS, MC or otherwise.

Just because I am a Telus Shareholder does not mean I get my every question answered on any matter of business that may be occurring… and the same is with my membership to the NSMBA. We elect our Directors since we believe they can do the best job all things considered.

So we should let them do that job… and when they can tell us what is going on, then they will. We need to trust a bit more, and not be "that rider" that expects what they want to know, how they want to know it, when they want to know it. It just does not work that way.

Cam's post is brilliant. Thanks for that.

The other side of it is that many of us are DNV taxpayers and voters. And as voters we theoretically should be able to request information on the actions and strategies of our municipal government.

The NSMBA are not the only potential source of info on these types of issues…

Agreed with above. I don't doubt there are some discussions that are better conducted out of the public eye, but often the balance isn't quite right IMO.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the NSMBA have a call for donations some time ago to fund work on a 'classic old school shore trail.' At the time, people asked which trail the money would go towards but the NSMBA were unable to announce the trail at the time due to some politics/bureaucracy somewhere. I think (and may be wrong here) that the trail eventually was revealed to be Starfish. If my memory has served me correctly, presumably that money has now gone to waste? Shame if so…

Edit: Nope. I was wrong. As you were.

Pink Starfish-specific stuff aside, this is sort of what I was referencing - there is a lot of nonspecific 'we have great things happening!' talk on the website and social media, and there's plenty of info on projects after they're complete, but there's absolutely nothing in terms of status updates or even specific plans while things are upcoming or underway. It's sometimes like publicising the actual process is being deliberately avoided.

i respect the time and work you've put in to trail work and advocacy Sven, but you and the NSMBA are wrong on your stance of being "silent". the organization's choice to be quiet on numerous issues tends to cast doubt and make it look like you have something to hide. the organization would come off looking better if it was forward and honest on these sensitive topics instead of hiding and letting speculation run rampant. if the organization speaks in a prspectful and honest manner there will be no controvery. it is not juet the lack of info here, but also on the nsmba webpage, facebook page and twitter that is an issue.

the only reason Monica and people like her have any "ammunition" is becuase you give it to her by not being forthright. as a publicly registered charity that is a volunteer run organization i believe the nsmba has a duty to inform those who are affected by the decisions of the board and it's employees and to answer questions in an open an honest manner.

Agree very much with this. The NSMBA overall do fantastic work but my only complaint would be that they are not very good at the public communication side of things. Most people do not have time to head up to the End of the Line on a weekday evening to sit around and chat with board members, as friendly and welcoming an opportunity as that is.

People have families and busy lives and often struggle just to get out on their bikes. They come to nsmb.com, or facebook and twitter, to get caught up on what's going on outside of what they personally see on the trails when they're out riding.

If it's a matter of capacity, maybe the board needs to appoint more than one person in charge of communications and/or social media. If it's a matter of priority… well, I'd suggest it needs to be moved up the list a little. We'll all benefit.