Giddy up and go – all permits secured!
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive final approval to begin construction”, says Mark Halwa – Executive Director of Greenways. “We planned to begin construction in 2016 and now expect to begin cutting timber to clear the trail around Christmas time”. “This will pave the way for actual trail construction to begin on or before April 1, 2017”.
During the lengthy permitting process Greenways has been finalizing the construction details of Westside Legacy Trail. With an interpretive boardwalk, bridges, picnic areas, trail flagstones, rest areas, benches, and trailhead kiosks (see a full list on OurTrail.com/amenities), there was a lot of decision making to be made! Final designs for nearly all the amenities has been determined as well as the layout and distribution of these amenities (see a full list on OurTrail.com/trail segments). The main criteria for selecting the amenity designs are the capital cost, environmental impact and the ongoing maintenance cost borne by the RDEK. Greenways wants to ensure the WLT will be here for decades to come, and providing low-maintenance high-value amenities is key to that – in fact, the maintenance of the trail project is estimated to cost tax payers the equivalent of a cup of coffee per year!
As the planning phase draws to an end with permits in hand, focus again turns to fundraising for construction of the trail. We’re full-steam ahead, but we still need your support – donations can be made from OurTrail.org, please give any amount you find meaningful, and look forward to enjoying the first segments of the Westside Legacy Trail in summer 2017.
The future of the Columbia Valley is looking very bright, and has managed to attract not just one, but two world-class amenities: the Westside Legacy Trail and the new Columbia Valley Centre. It’s an exciting time to be in the Valley, and from everyone at Greenways, we’re thankful to have the opportunity to so positively impact the future of the Valley. The vision of a healthy outdoor-loving active community, full of friends and families enjoying the Trail, and the Community Centre is quickly becoming a reality.
