Summerland service club ‘grinding’ out lights project

It won’t be done this year, but the first bulbs are finally twinkling as a Summerland service club begins work on a plan to light up the entire 6.6-kilometre length of the Giant’s Head Grind in Summerland.

The trail begins at Peach Orchard Park on Okanagan Lake and gains 500 metres en route to the top of Giant’s Head Mountain.

In honour of its 75th anniversary this year, the Summerland Rotary Club had hoped to light the main Giant’s Head Mountain stretch of the route, but pandemic-related challenges forced the group to scale back plans to cover just the starting section near the water.

Over the last few weeks, Rotarians have been working with District of Summerland staff to install lights from Peach Orchard Beach through to Rotary Beach as well as on the Rotary Pier.

Rotary is seeking donations to fund the project: $10 per foot of light strand.

“COVID-19 has stopped many things in our life but not the need to raise funds for a number of important activities that the Summerland Rotary Club takes on each year,” said member Ellen Walker-Matthews.

Summerland Rotary organizes the Chris Walker Memorial Race on the Giant’s Head Grind to raise money for programs that combat colon cancer. The seventh annual edition was postponed to July 2021.

The event is named in honour of Walker-Matthews’ son, who died of the disease, while the route’s name was inspired by the Grouse Mountain Grind in North Vancouver, which gains 1,100 metres over 2.9 kilometres.

For additional information on the project, visit: giantsheadgrind.com