Douglas Lake Ranch locked up gates after increase in vandalism, theft on property
KAMLOOPS — The long-time general manager of the Douglas Lake Cattle Company took the stand on Tuesday at B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops, providing some insight into the history of the company and why it locked up the gates to Minnie and Stoney Lakes near Merritt.
Joe Gardner said on Tuesday the company locked up the gates shortly after he arrived on the ranch in 1979 after it became vulnerable to theft and vandalism.
The gates were permanently locked in the early 1980s, according to Gardner, even though exact dates are a point of contention with the Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club, the defendants in the trial. The club contends the gates have been locked since the early 1990s after it says the company started charging more than $100 to fish in the lakes.