Canadian Pacific blocks access to rafting 'jewel' of Kicking Horse River

The mayor of Golden, B.C.is searching for a way to maintain access to the lower canyon of the Kicking Horse River after CP Rail banned whitewater rafting companies from crossing the railway tracks to access the water.

Ron Oszust says rafters have been crossing the tracks to access the river for nearly 40 years without incident.

"It's the jewel of whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse River,and after you finish that you actually meander into town and the rafts flow right into our community," he told Alberta@Noon.

"It's an iconic part of being in Golden and the adventure tourism that's in our community."

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Challenging topography and more dangerous rapids upstream have made it impossible for rafters to find a different place to put in, Oszust says.

"Above [the crossing]is Class 5 whitewater rapids and ultimately they're not allowed to raft that commercially," Oszust said."If things go wrong, you die."

"Groups of people have gone down there and looked at the other options and at this point nothing else seems viable," he added.

No trespassing

CP Rail spokesperson Salem Woodrow says the company explored the option of installing a level crossing at the location, but the curvature of the track made it too risky.

"The fact is these rafting companies have been dangerously trespassing across railway tracks for a number of years, potentially endangering their customers and guides,"Salem Woodrowtold CBC News.

"Canadian Pacific has informedthe users accessing the lower canyon of the Kicking Horse River over CP tracks that their request to install a grade crossing is declined."

But here has to be a solution somewhere, Oszust says.

"There will be rafting on the lower canyon this summer," he said. "We just need to find out the 'how,'recognizing that it has been done safely for almost 40 years."

About 40,000 people pass through the community each year to take advantage of the whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse River, he said, calling the industry "critically important" to Golden.

"CP's response to our community cannot be 'no,'" he said.

With files from Alberta@Noon