Rail Trail group lands major government grant

Jul 30, 2021 | 6:00 AM

Senior governments have come through with a grant to get construction rolling on part of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail.

The trail’s ownership partners, Splatsin, Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), and Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD), were awarded $459,061 in COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream funds by the federal and provincial governments.

The money will be used to construct a pilot section of the trail connecting Enderby and Splatsin.

The Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail previously announced funding of $250,000 from the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Tourism bringing the total funding for the pilot section to $709,061.

Working collectively with the rail trail technical team, operations, and planning staff, each of the jurisdictions are developing standards for the pilot project. This includes vegetation restoration and landscaping, trail amenities and signage, as well as addressing invasive plants.

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“This provincial and federal funding announcement validates the hard work of the rail trail partners, the volunteer efforts of our community capital fundraising committee, and the generous contributions from our donors. The momentum is building, and we invite everyone to help us unfold this new story within unceded traditional territory of Secwepemc’ulucw,” Alex de Chantal, Fundraising Strategy Coordinator, said.

The Community Capital Fundraising Campaign encourages corporate and community donors to support the rail trail project by making donations, as many grants require a matching financial commitment to qualify. All contributions are tax deductible, and every dollar donated gets leveraged for grants and turns into more trail on the ground.

Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities said over $20.8 million from the federal government was announced to upgrade local infrastructure in municipalities and Indigenous communities across the Okanagan-Kootenay Region.

“Among other benefits, these projects will upgrade community buildings as well as create cycling and multi-purpose pathways, which will enhance community connections and offer residents and visitors more options to commute and stay active,” McKenna said.

For more information or to donate, visit www.ShuswapNorthOkanaganRailTrail.ca/donate

by Pete McIntyre

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