TUESDAY
S I N C E
JULY 2, 2013
1 8 9 5 Salmo softballers square off
Vol. 118, Issue 102
105
$
Page 11
INCLUDING G.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Kootenay region presents challenges for Trans Canada Trail BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
VALERIE ROSSI PHOTO
Julia Halbert is proud of her heritage. Dressed in a red and white outfit from head to toe, the 13-yearold celebrated Canada’s birthday in style. See more photos on Page 2 and online at traildailytimes.ca.
Red,white and let’s eat Canada’s 146th birthday celebrated in Greater Trail BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
Greater Trail residents showed their true colours Monday afternoon as they rang in Canada Day with face painting, good eats and live music in Trail and Fruitvale. Among the approximate 150 people who turned up at Beaver Creek Park was a white and red parrot, a retirement gift for 31 years of working at Teck, said Larry McAulay. He and his wife May decided to bring “Binjo,” their male bare-eyed cockatoo, out for the
first time this year for a day of socializing in the sun. Though he was a little shy, his owners said they knew he was game on the outing when he stuck his head right through his harness himself. Eight year-old Ayla Ferguson has come to the community celebration for the past eight years in support of her great uncle Leroy Pederson, a Kiwanis volunteer who helps put on the event. The festivities wouldn't be possible without the organization, according to Trail councillor Kevin Jolly, who stood out in the crowd. Jolly was the “tall guy wearing the big Canadian flag” in the kids scavenger hunt orga-
nized by Camp Cowabunga. “The weather couldn't be better, the fellowship is great, we've got some good entertainment and we're here to have a great time and celebrate the best county on earth,” he said. The crowd rose to its feet to sing the national anthem, led by Leanne Harrison, and dug into cake served up by Jolly. “I think in the last few years we've become more vocal about how proud we are,” said the patriotic man. “When you look at the Olympics in Vancouver and you look at the place that Canada has taken on the international stage, in many different ways our prominence, in terms of See FRUITVALE, Page 3
It’s been a rocky road for the Trans Canada Trail Foundation to connect the Kootenay section of trails. The Trans Canada Trail is one of the world’s longest network of recreational trails that when fully connected will stretch nearly 24,000 kilometres, linking 1,000 communities from coast to coast. “The trail is constantly improving and adapting,” said Clive Webber, Trans Canada Trail B.C. coordinator. “It is virtually a living organism that grows and evolves so in this sense, we can connect the trail, but we will never truly complete it.” To honour Canada Day 2012, Teck Resources donated $1 million to the foundation to complete the Kootenay portion of the line’s unfinished section between Trail, Nelson, Salmo, Kimberley through to Cranbrook, Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford. “Contrary to what I thought when I originally got involved as a volunteer, the actual process of building trails is much more than setting off into the bush with some shovels and handsaws,” said Webber. “Rather, the path of least resistance is to utilize as much existing trail as possible.” The Trans Canada Trail is currently about 77 per cent connected across the province, with a goal of being 100 per cent connected by January 1, 2017, added Webber. He explained that the significant gaps in the Trans Canada Trail within the Kootenay region present challenges other than rough terrain. “We are facing two stumbling blocks,” he said. The first is that some desired routes, which have existing trail or roadways in place, run through private property and local trail stewards do not have formal agreements in place with the property owners. “Second, in areas with no exist-
ing trails, we lack the framework to efficiently designate provincial roadways as our interim route.” In areas where trails do not exist and opportunities for developing a trail is low, the foundation along with its provincial partner the Trails Society of BC, is seeking cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to designate roadways instead. “This is an issue near Trail and Nelson,” said Webber. “All of these segments utilize roadways at one point or another.” The main focus for roadway connections between trail segments is to concentrate on creating safe routes for cyclists, as they are the core users of these types of connections. “We would like to work with the province to designate optimal, safe routes,” said Webber. “Or just simply raise awareness among drivers that they may indeed encounter cyclists along the route.” The Trans Canada Trail begins its Kootenay-Boundary journey to the west of Trail in Christina Lake, follows a rail grade up and over the Paulson Summit to Castlegar, then travels from Castlegar to Trail down the east side of the Columbia River on a section called the Columbia River Trail. Unfinished sections remain between Trail and the Beaver Valley and out to Salmo, where the trail picks up on an old rail grade up to Nelson along the Great Northern Rail Trail. On the surface, the trail is an opportunity to be part of a unique moment in Canada’s history, said Webber, and Teck’s donation will ultimately provide the Kootenay region with better recreation avenues and improved lifestyles for those who call the area home. “Locally, this is a great investment for our employees and their families who live and recreate in the area,” said Catherine Adair, community engagement coordinator for Teck Metals.
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242 Canada Post, Contract number 42068012
Generating jobs & economic benefits www.columbiapower.org