Outdoors club mourns hiking guide author
***** These are busy days for Phil McIntyre-Paul, executive director of the Shuswap Trail Alliance.
He just finished the Salute to the Sockeye event, the first Salmon Symposium jointly hosted by Little Shuswap Lake Band and the Adams River Salmon Society, and just hosted the Lewiston Ultra Trail Run with 750 participants from around Western Canada, northern U.S. and other points across the country.
“These are good days out on the trails,” he told the Sheriff. But there is also progress on the Sicamous-to-Armstrong rail trail that was purchased by local governments.
“Things are moving forward getting the Inter-Jurisdictional Joint Governance body in place between the Splatsin, Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Regional District of North Okanagan,” he said.
Funding applications have also gone in to put project management in place, and get the environmental and engineering design work ready, plus launch the next round of fundraising to complete construction.
Temporary signage has gone up along the rail trail corridor together with an information bulletin, he said.
“And follow-up discussions are underway with provincial and federal leadership as things get set in place, ready to launch the fundraising campaign for this section, as the Vernon-to-Kelowna rail trail is now complete.
“As well, we are all continuing to co-ordinate along the entire Shuswap-Okanagan Valley between Sicamous and Osoyoos to link everything together.”
On Dec. 15, 2017, ownership of the Canadian Pacific railway corridor which extends from Sicamous to Armstrong was transferred to the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Regional District of North Okanagan, as joint owners, excluding sections owned by the Splatsin First Nation.
A memorandum of understanding was entered into between the CSRD, RDNO and the Splatsin to establish a rail trail from Sicamous to Armstrong.
“At this time, the corridor is closed to the public. As planning and development of the trail commences,consultation with adjacent property owners and residents will be conducted,” said regional officials.
The CSRD and the RDNO completed several projects on the rail trail this year including: weed and hazard control, construction of culverts and ditching, and signage.
“As for wider Shuswap trails, there’s lots going on. We’re right in the midst of fall projects working hard to beat the early snowline that showed up,” said McIntyre-Paul.
“Several new trails were added: additions to the Shuswap Memorial Cemetery Park Trails and Gayle Creek Trail in Salmon Arm, reroute additions at Balmoral in the South Shuswap, the Goliath EQ Trail at South Canoe, improvements to the Enderby Cliffs Tplaqin Trail, lots of incredible stewardship and care of everything created to date, and more good work planning for the next few years,” he said.
“Of particular importance are all the Secwepemc-led initiatives, including the rail trail, the West Bay Trail, and the Secwepemc Landmarks and Trailhead project. The annual Shuswap Regional Trails Roundtable leadership will regather in November to review and provide on-going direction.
“And keep your fingers crossed, as we await word on several grant applications which will allow support to complete several much anticipated new community trail projects next year.”
For more information, direction and maps on all trails within the Shuswap, go to: ShuswapTrails.com.