Dear members and trail users,
As you may have heard, the NSMBA recently launched the Watchmen program. Inspired by the spirit of the Watchmen of the Haida Gwaii, the North Shore Watchmen were meant to be the caretakers of our trails. Unfortunately the rollout was not successful and we find ourselves with a valuable program that was the victim of a poor execution. Due to perception issues, and feedback from our community, the NSMBA has discontinued the Watchmen program, name and branding. The decision was not taken lightly; it was taken in consideration of the feedback we received from the community.
The NSMBA has taken this as a learning opportunity, one that will be used to continue, progress, and further the NSMBA as it seeks to fulfill our mission and vision.
There is currently no timeline for a re-launch, as we are a volunteer organization we have limited resources and we must manage these wisely. The NSMBA encourages all members of our community to use www.trailforks.com to report trail issues and obstructions in order to help us identify areas that require work.
In taking a step back, the NSMBA will consider all the feedback we have received. The program has great merit and is of high value; in the next iteration the logo and name will have strong alignment with the NSMBA’s goals and values.
The NSMBA’s mission statement of “Trails for All, Trails Forever” has never had a stronger resolve. As the President to the Board of Directors of the NSMBA for the past 2 years and as the Director of Advocacy the year prior, I would like to assure you that the current board of directors and our staff hold this to the highest standard.
On behalf of the directors and staff of the NSMBA I offer you my sincere regrets, our actions were truthfully well intended, our execution, however, did not reflect our intentions.
Vince Beasse
President of the Board of Directors