On Tuesday, March 8, Chase Council unanimously approved third reading of two bylaws that are pivotal in the process of Chase Canyon Eco-Adventures putting in a zipline at Chase Falls. “I feel I can speak on behalf of all of council that these decisions didn’t come lightly. We had a lot of information,” said Coun. Rick Berrigan. “My decisions here today and my whole-hearted opinion are based on the best interests of the community.” The first bylaw, the official community plan amendment, which changes the land use at 221 Shepherd Rd. from civic institutional to parks and open space, and adds the Chase highway pull-out, will now wait only for approval of the accompanying zoning bylaw. The zoning amendment bylaw, which adds commercial recreation to the parks and recreation zone for the property, requires third-party approval before it can be considered for final approval. In this case, the third party is the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The Transportation Act dictates that any proposed zoning bylaw that affects land within an 800-metre radius of an intersection to a highway must be approved first by the ministry. Because third reading of the bylaw was approved, it now goes to the ministry for approval. If it’s approved, it comes back to the Village of Chase for council to consider final adoption. “Allowing the zipline would necessitate closure of the rest stop to ensure user traffic did not create risks for highway users.” said MLA Kevin Krueger. “If this happens, it will only move the closure date earlier, as MoTI planned to close it anyway.” The second part of a public hearing regarding the zipline took place before the regular council meeting. This week, in contrast to last week’s hearing, more people seemed to be in favour of the zipline coming to Chase. Many people came out from the business community to show their support. “We need businesses to make a profit. Profit is not a bad word, it’s a good word,” says longtime Chase resident Tom Atkinson. “I hope businesses in Chase, every one of them, makes a fortune in profit. That’s why they’re in business.” Many residents are upset about the decision. Marvin Beatty stated, “I think this project, in essence, is ruining the visual appeal of that canyon, and I’ll always think that.” Ron Betts of Chase Canyon Eco-Adventures thanked the residents of Chase, supporters and opponents alike. “Coming into a project like this, we realize that it’s impossible to get full concession from 100 per cent of people, there will be some opposition. The people who have been opposed to the project have given us the opportunity to look at it from every angle, and in some cases have helped us see things that maybe we hadn’t thought of at the start.” He went on to say, “Ultimately that will make us a stronger business in the long term.”