Rail Trail North Cost: $12.9 Million

Mar 7, 2019 | 6:00 AM

Local governments and Splatsin have started talks on developing the Shuswap-North Okanagan Rail Trail.

That’s the former CP Rail line between Armstrong and Sicamous that is now owned by local governments and First Nations.

The committee overseeing the trail has been given an estimate of $12.9 million to construct the 50 kilometre trail and all the associated costs.

That estimate includes a type 1 hard surface tread with an asphalt finish, 10 feet wide in width.

“The hard surface is required to maintain consistency of use and meet overall pedestrian/bicycle/accessibility objectives,” wrote Phil McIntyre-Paul from The Shuswap Trail Alliance, who prepared a preliminary concept design report for the committee at their meeting Wednesday at the RDNO office in Coldstream.

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Funding could come from fundraising and sponsorships, similar to what was done with the rail trail between Coldstream and Kelowna.

“The purpose (of the report) is to provide design and development costing projections for the Rail Trail Corridor in order to support the process for: 1)contracting environmental assessments and bid-ready engineering designs with Class C costing, 2) securing capital funds to construct the 50 kilometre greenway corridor, and 3) realizing the full social/economic opportunities of the corridor for the Splatsin, Shuswap and North Okanagan communities,” said the report.

The regional districts of North Okanagan and Columbia Shuswap, and the province each paid paid $2.17 million in 2017 to buy the remainder of the line for $6.5 million.

Splatsin also owns 7.5 kilometres of the corridor (sections along Mara Lake and south of Enderby) and is working with local governments to develop the trail and a funding strategy.

by Corey Fischer