It takes a community: the recreation officer

Steve Andrews photo

Doing the Paperwork, so the rest of us can have fun.

Story Series: It takes a community

In a time when trails, roads, campgrounds, rivers and lakes are busier than ever, it’s important to remember that it takes a community to make fun possible. This story is part of a series of profiles on the people who work behind the scenes in B.C., so you can have that special moment today.

From trail building crews to campground hosts, the person selling bikes to biologists studying wildlife, many people working in outdoor recreation have noticed a growing demand on their skills and time. But few feel it as acutely as Marcia Bennett. 

“There’s been an exponential increase in demand for the work we do,” says the recreation officer for the Columbia Shuswap region.

A position within Recreation Sites and Trails BC and part of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, a recreation officer manages, well, recreation. They oversee provincially managed recreation sites and trails, and, through 400-odd partnerships, advise groups and individuals on stewardship activities, like trail building, cabins and campsites. Through it all they consult with all governments and stakeholders on different issues and projects, resolve conflicts and make decisions about what gets built , where and how. 

“I joke that I handle the administrative tasks, so everyone else can have fun,” she says.

And there’s a lot of fun happening because of Bennett. The Columbia Shuswap stretches from the Salmon Arm to Glacier National Park, Mica Dam north of Revelstoke to Shelter Bay on Arrow Lakes. At any time Bennett estimates she is working with 30 community groups and partners, like the Shuswap Trail Alliance (STA), a multi-stakeholder association.

“Without Marcia it would be next to impossible for us to get anything done,” says Jen Bellhouse, the executive director of the STA. “We wouldn’t know where to begin. She’s a great partner and advisor for us.”

When the STA has an idea for a new trail Bennett acts like a navigator, telling them what studies they need to do and what groups they have to consult. And when they’ve done all the groundwork, she makes the final decision about whether the project should proceed and within what parameters.

The process begins and ends with engaging with First Nations. 

“We have ongoing discussion with all the Indigenous organizations in the area,” she says. “We come up with decisions together.”

She organizes community meetings and gathers feedback from anyone potentially impacted. Ultimately, all the discussion leads to better and more sustainable use of the land. But combined with an ever-growing number of applications for public recreation infrastructure, proposals are taking years to reach the approval stage. 

“The process can be frustrating,” admits Bellhouse. “But we know Marcia’s office is backlogged and Recreation Sites and Trails BC is underfunded and under-resourced.”

Bennett says applicants are equally to blame for the backlog. They often don’t follow her advice, requiring more back and forth with paperwork, or ignore conditions, like how and where to build a trail. It results in a lot of unnecessary work for Bennett and her staff. 

Still, the long delays frustrate Bennett, as well. “Everyone in my office feels personally responsible,” she says. “But we have to do the process properly.”

It's rarely easy, but a rule of thumb, inspired by John F. Kennedy, helps simplify her every decision. 

“A lot of people come to me with ideas that are all about how the land can best benefit them,” Bennett says. “I try to flip the perspective: what’s the best use of the land so it benefits the most people.”

Ryan Stuart started writing about his adventures as a way to get paid to play. Twenty years later he’s still at it. Look for his name in magazines like Outside, Men’s Journal, Ski Canada, online at Hakai and The Narwhal. When he’s not typing at his home office in Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley, you can find him skiing, hiking, mountain biking, surfing, paddling or fishing somewhere nearby.