The rail trails in the West Boundary have been, by and large, left undeveloped and unmaintained for the two decades since the province acquired them from the CPR.
Every few years talk comes around to what to do with them and that conversation has started again. Individuals, groups and organizations are looking forward to the upcoming West Boundary Rail Trail Information Session scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Midway Community Centre from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
New to the conversation this time around are local ATV clubs.
The session is being hosted by Community Futures Boundary and will include a presentation by the Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
The Kettle Valley and Columbia and Western Rail Trail corridors are owned by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and administered by the RSTBC. The rail trails were acquired by the province from the CPR in 1995 and are designated as Trans-Canada Trail. RSTBC manages public recreation on Crown lands in B.C. by partnering with volunteer groups, local governments, private industry and individuals. In the Boundary region, the trail is enjoyed by residents and has great potential to generate tourism dollars for local communities. Due to several challenges, much of the rail trails have not realized their potential.
According to organizers, the purpose of the meeting is to bring the community together to learn about what is required to implement a maintenance plan for the West Boundary trail and specifically to better understand the requisite partnerships between communities and governments.
This is an opportunity for organizations to partner and become “trail stewards”. RSVP by Jan. 28 to 250-442-2722 or anna@boundarycf.com.