Whispering Pines right on track

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A joint venture between the Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band and the Greater Kamloops Motorcycle Association has culminated in the construction of a state of the art motocross track in the interior of British Columbia.

The band's Sports Recreation Centre is situated some 25 kilometers north of Kamloops on the Westsyde Road, one of the most beautiful places in the North Thompson area. Covering 200 acres, it includes a rodeo, arena, racetrack, concessions, washrooms, community hall, baseball fields and campgrounds.

The ongoing development of the facility is a result of the band's vision of pursuing unlimited economic possibilities in the tourism industry, said Chief Richard Le Bourdais.

"We've done a lot of work, and we still have a lot of work ahead of us to make it even better. What we'd like to do is to develop this track into number one in Canada and North America and we're slowly working in that area; in the future we want to develop and expand the facility for more sports activities, such as an oval race course for stock cars. Our community members are excited. We have the ability to set up concessions and to provide services for the riders and their family members, and for spectators," he said.

"This is a prime example of how First Nations and the white population can get together and work together."

The facility came to life Victoria Day weekend as competitors revved their engines and raced around hairpin corners and over challenging jumps. More than 400 riders from British Columbia, Alberta and Washington State gathered to thrill spectators, as they competed in the fifth and sixth leg of the Canadian Motocross Racing Club's provincial series races.

The course is close to one mile long, with speeds reaching up to 40 m.p.h. and white knuckle jumps of up to 90 feet.

Early in the afternoon of May 18, local political and Native representatives offered congratulations, cutting the official ribbon to signal the beginning of competition and the track's inaugural event-Dash for Cash. Contenders competed for a purse of $320, won by Stan Sloboda, a pro racer from Coquitlam.

The band is currently researching the possibility of increasing access to Whispering Pines, with a new bridge over the North Thompson River. This link would establish connections with other tourist destinations, including Quaaout Lodge and Sunpeaks Resort.

The band has started work on four new baseball diamonds and also wants to build a hotel as an alternative to camping on the site.

"We're looking at the long route, not the short route," said Le Bourdais, who would like to see the centre completed within five years.

Also on the agenda for summer fun at Whispering Pines is another big motocross event planned for the end of September. Super Jump will see riders competing in freestyle events on the Sept. 29 weekend. This same weekend will see Whispering Pines' annual Bull-A-Rama with a $5,000 winner-take-all prize. A National Aboriginal Day rodeo on June 23 and 24 is expected to attract about 700 people a day. At the same time there is a baseball tournament planned with about 12 teams participating. Included in the weekend activities is a free dance, concessions and "watering hole."