It creeps in

slowly but surely, over generations.

I took a trip down to Bearspaw dam today. I hadn't seen it in probably 30 years or more and I wanted to get some current pictures ... below, above etc. The last time I visited, there were fishermen standing in the water just a bit downstream in hip-waders, fishing.

Well, it's all closed off to the public now "due to serious safety concerns expressed by Transport Canada."

The access road crosses a dual set of railway tracks and Transport Canada told CP Rail to put up some proper signals. CP Rail then "mandated Transalta" -(who runs the generator at the bottom of the dam)- to INSTALL a controlled crossing! Transalta, in turn, "explored a number of alternatives with various stakeholders" and "found" that putting a fence around the area and a gate in front of the tracks, "to be the best solution." They "apologize," of course, "for any inconvenience this may cause."

So ...

From 1954, when the dam and generator were built ... up until Feb. of this year ... there were no serious safety concerns ... but suddenly, it's become prohibitively DANGEROUS to go across the tracks and walk around the dam's periphery.

Nevermind that about half of our drinking water is derived from this water source. It's too dangerous for us to see where it is and how it works.

I snuck through a space in the fence beside the road and walked in about a mile and got on top of the dam thing but I couldn't get to the base of the dam; it was all fenced off as well.

The younger generation -those under 30- think that these safety concerns are quite valid ... because they've been conditioned to think that way.

We old-timers, on the other hand, see the encroachment on personal freedoms and public rights ... all over the place.

-Vince