Okanagan Rail Trail (Submitted photo/CFNO)

By Pete McIntyre

$72,000 for trailhead site

Federal funding rolls into Rail Trail

Jun 1, 2021 | 12:45 PM

A project to upgrade the starting point of the Okanagan Rail Trail (ORT) has received a funding boost from the federal government.

The Community Foundation North Okanagan (CFNO) has awarded $72,000 to the Rail Trail’s Kilometre Zero project with a grant from the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.

“This year like never before, we have needed the Okanagan Rail Trail,” a news release from CFNO stated. “The open spaces allow us to stay active while practising social distancing and provide an essential connection to nature.”

The popular 50 km Rail Trail stretching from Coldstream to Kelowna has limited access points. By developing the trailhead at Kilometer Zero in Coldstream, the project will create a safe and spacious trailhead, with a plaza gathering space, a safe off-road place for groups to coordinate their trail activities, a hilltop viewpoint, and interpretative installations that will reflect and celebrate the history of the Sylix people and the rich cultural values of the northern (Kalamalka) trail section.

Okanagan Rail Trail KM Zero in Coldstream. (Submitted photo/CFNO)

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Leanne Hammond, Executive Director of CFNO, said they are incredibly proud to be able to support the ORT in their campaign to develop the Northern Gateway.

“As summer begins and we feel the increased desire to connect with each other, these projects from the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will help our community to connect safely and will benefit the mental and physical well-being of our residents,” Hammond commented.

Kilometre Zero of Okanagan Rail Trail in Coldstream. (Submitted photo/CFNO)

Last year, trail supporters raised funds to naturalize the old rail yard as the first phase of the trailhead development. This year Friends of the Okanagan Rail Trail have launched the Sunflower Campaign which will finalize design and create a signature trailhead with a plaza gathering space, distinctive gateway feature and interpretive signage.

Friends of the Okanagan Rail Trail are still aiming to raise another $100,000 to complete the trailhead development by 2022. Even with current grants and future potential granting awards, support from the public is still needed to complete the gateway.

To learn more and donate, visit: https://okanaganrailtrail.ca/friends-of-the-trail/kilometrezero/.

The Government of Canada, alongside Community Foundations of Canada, has activated $31 million in funding through the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative. This program is helping communities adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19 to build safer spaces and ensure a higher quality of life for people across the country.