Trail construction picking up steam

A 17-kilometre section of the Okanagan Rail Trail along the west shore of Kalamalka Lake could be ready for public use by Nov. 30.

Crews will soon start work on five km of trail construction in the District of Lake Country and 12 km in the Regional District of North Okanagan.

“We’re trying to get the work done in those two areas by the end of November,” Andrew Gibbs, a City of Kelowna official overseeing the rail trail project, said Wednesday.

In its entirety, the abandoned rail corridor from Coldstream to downtown Kelowna is just under 50 km.

Plans are to develop the five-metre-wide trail in sections as grants become available and as an $8million fundraising campaign overseen by the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative (ORTI) nears completion. Currently, $5 million has been raised.

Trail boosters say they’re glad to see the Kalamalka Lake section the first to be developed, and they predict it will be well used given its scenic appeal.

“Work has been delayed by flooding and fires this year, so it’s fantastic to see construction of the trail finally start,” ORTI chairman Brad Clement said.

“The section along Kalamalka Lake is absolutely stunning, especially in the spring and summer when the water turns that bluegreen colour,” Clement said. “The trail runs right along the water, so there’s lots of places where you’ll be able to take a dip.”

The Kalamalka Lake section is already popular with hikers and cyclists, although it is in a rough condition with signs warning people to use it at their own risk. Once trail development starts in the next few weeks, vehicles and heavy equipment will move onto the former railway corridor, necessitating its closure through gates and fences.

A nine-km section of the trail in Kelowna, from Dilworth Drive to the UBC Okanagan campus, should be completed by next March. Depending on fundraising (donate at okanaganrailtrail.ca), the intention is to have the entire trail completed by next fall.