By Tom Mark

North Rail Trail Purchase Moving Forward

Nov 16, 2017 | 11:30 AM

It`s another step toward a North Okanagan/Shuswap Rail Trail.

RDNO directors have approved the temporary borrowing of 2.3 million dollars to help cover the cost of the region’s share of the old CP Rail Corridor from Sicamous to Spallumcheen.

Board Chair Bob Fleming says the purchase closing date is December 15th.

“Well, then the Regional District takes possession of it and the partners at that point have to start looking at what they’re going to do with it. There’s no money at the moment with trail development.”

Fleming says the other partners in the project, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and the Splatsin and other stakeholders will be discussing funding for development of the trail.

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“The partners in the purchase have to start doing what we did in the south between RDNO, Lake Country and Kelowna and start deciding how they’re going to approach trail development and the trail itself.”

There is also interest by the Shuswap Trail Alliance in being involved and Fleming says MP Mel Arnold has suggested the federal government may be inclined to help with funding.

Fleming says while everyone envisions it as a trail, there are other potential uses.

Meanwhile, a meeting will be held November 24th between Fleming and the mayors of Coldstream, Lake Country, Vernon and Kelowna to talk about the Okanagan Rail Trail.

by Tom Mark