Despite a slew of issues, a group of Ashcroft residents are adamant to try and regain access to the Ashcroft Slough.

The natural area has been blocked off to the public by the Ashcroft Terminal for safety concerns.

Ashcroft Slough Society vice president Gloria Mertens says the corporation could allow access, and says it’s a matter of willpower.

“Please be aware, that the Ashcroft Slough Society supports the expansion of the inland port. We believe, however, that economic development must go hand in hand with community wellbeing and livability. In this case, that community wellbeing and livability is access to the Ashcroft Slough,” she told the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board last month.

“They have undergone a lot of development in the last little bit, and it looked like they had just punched another hole under the CP tracks. So it’s not impossible, it’s just a matter of willpower.”

Mertens is asking the TNRD board for a letter of support in the society’s quest to regain slough access.

Once built, the Ashcroft Terminal will be the largest inland port in western Canada, covering 320 acres.

Ashcroft Terminal CEO Kleo Landucci told the TNRD in February that the company is assessing other options for recreational use in the area, and that it could invest in another location for the community to use other than the Ashcroft Slough.