EAGLE VALLEY
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014 PM40008236
Vol. 59 No. 40 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Governments support rail resolution
UBCM: District successful garnering support for transportation corridor. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
A made-in-the-Shuswap resolution for the B.C. government to take ownership of abandoned rail corridors received unanimous support at this year’s Union of BC Municipalities convention. During this annual gathering of local government representatives, held Sept. 22 to 26 in Whistler, Sicamous Coun. Terry Rysz presented the resolution that the province “facilitate public acquisition and ownership of abanWe need to lobby doned transportation as much as possible, corridors,” and that the and continue so this B.C. government work doesn’t get shuffled with UBCM to develop off and not prioria funding mechanism tized. Because that such as a province-wide happens. parcel tax, to help govDarrell Trouton ernments or community Mayor groups purchase and maintain corridors for public recreational use. The resolution was prompted from a June 25 meeting between the mayors of Vernon, Armstrong, Sicamous, and representatives from Sicamous council, the Splatsin, the Columbia Shuswap and North Okanagan regional districts and the Shuswap Trail Alliance, where retention of the rail right of way between Sicamous and Armstrong was discussed. The result was a resolution by the District of Sicamous that originally called upon UBCM to become the owner of abandoned railways. This wording, however, was not supported by the UBCM executive, which resulted in a last-minute rewording, as well as some lobbying, with assistance by CSRD director and outgoing UBCM president Rhona Martin. Sicamous Mayor Darrell Trouton said the amended resolution was approved by his fellow delegates without question. “It should be a provincial initiative and it would See Community on page 2
Crossing hazard: The Gorge Creek trail, which begins at the Trans-Canada Highway across from the Last Spike in Craigellachie, may be subject to a temporary closure until safer access can be found. Photo by Lachlan Labere
Trail infrastructure hit hard by weather By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
Severe weather has taken a heavy toll on a number of the Shuswap’s premier trails. In the past year or so, the Gorge Creek Loop Trail in Craigellachie, the Upper Bear Creek Flume Trail in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park and the Reinecker Creek Trail west of Margaret Falls in Herald Park all suffered at the hands of nature which, in some cases, caused substantial infrastructure damage that will cost thousands of dollars to repair. In the case of the Gorge Trail, a temporary closure is even being considered, though this also relates to access. Sometime over the winter and spring, heavy blowdown made much of the Gorge Trail inaccessible. A provincial Rapattack crew subsequently cleaned and cleared a lot of the trail, though a quarter of the loop is still unsafe. “The infrastructure got quite battered this past season… some bridges got damaged and stuff, and the repairs are quite expensive,” said
Damage: A bridge along the Gorge trail lay twisted and in ruin under fallen trees. Photo by Lachlan Labere Shuswap Trail Alliance executive director Phil McIntyrePaul. “So that’s where they’re looking at it, saying, ‘wait a minute, if we invest in those repairs, we should be looking at the whole package.’” The ‘whole package’ McIntyre-Paul referred to has to do with access to the trail head, which involves crossing the Trans-Canada Highway from the Last Spike tourist attraction where parking is available. McIntyre-Paul says the province is considering a temporary closure of the trail system until a solution can be found. “What’s happening is ev-
eryone is parking at Craigellachie, and the trail head is on the other side of the highway, and the highway is coming down a slope through that narrow little bridge,” explained McIntyre-Paul. “So picture it, several bus loads of visiting tourists, and someone says there’s a trail over there. So now you’ve got 40 people running across the highway.” The Gorge falls under the purview of Recreation Sites and Trails BC, a branch of the Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Ministry spokesperson Greig Bethel confirms a potential closure and/or alteration of the
trail is currently under review. “This review will consider future construction on the Trans-Canada Highway, and the safety of visitors crossing the highway,” said Bethel. While the public may still access the Gorge Trail, those attempting to hike the Upper Flume will be greeted by a closure sign. Some of the bridges and wooden walkways were thoroughly damaged by a washout last year, while other aging bridges still standing are considered unsafe. Unlike the Gorge, the Flume’s future is looking good. McIntyre-Paul explained it is part of the Roderick HaigBrown provincial park trail system, which falls under the jurisdiction of BC Parks and the Ministry of Environment. With this being a dominant year for the Salmon Run, BC Parks prioritized upgrades and repairs for the Salute to the Sockeye event, which could see upwards of 350,000 visitors. BC Parks recreation section head for the Thompson See Replacement on page 2