Completion of national trail in B.C. marked today

The opening of the TransCanada Trail, which includes a section of the Kettle Valley Railway corridor, will be celebrated today in Victoria.

Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, musician David Foster and former skier Nancy Greene Raine are among those at the event to officially mark the trail’s completion in B.C.

A quarter-century in the making, the trail stretches for more than 24,000 kilometres and is described as the world’s longest network of recreational multi-use trails.

In the Okanagan, the trail follows the route of the old KVR railway, on the east side of Okanagan Lake, through Penticton and north to Summerland.

The stretch of KVR nearest to Kelowna passes through the scenic Myra Canyon, which includes 18 trestles.

The non-profit Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society, which helped oversee the rebuilding of the former railway bridges after the 2003 firestorm, and the ongoing maintenance of the popular hiking trail, won the 2016 BC Parks Volunteer Award.

“These British Columbians are passionate about our heritage, parks and natural areas, and their efforts are helping preserve them for generations to come,” Environment Minister George Heyman said in August when the award was announced.

“To spend countless hours and, in some cases, decades without being paid to further what they believe in is simply remarkable,” he said.