Work underway for Trails Capital of B.C. trademark

Jul 27, 2022 | 6:00 AM

The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) has begun the preliminary work to trademark Greater Vernon as the ‘Trails Capital of B.C.’

The request to secure the trademark was initially made by the Ribbons of Green Trail Society, and was given approval by the RDNO’s Board of Directors at its July 20 meeting.

“This is an idea that came forward from the Ribbons of Green Trail Society that they brought to us a couple months ago, thinking that we have a great network of trails in Greater Vernon, and suggesting that we should pursue getting a trademark,” Ian Wilson, General Manager of Community and Strategic Management for the RDNO, told Vernon Matters.

Wilson said the RDNO’s counsel was tasked with looking into the trademark, and has found there is a separate classification they should apply for as it is better suited for municipal bodies.

“What we’re actually pursuing is called an official mark, so it’s actually not like a commercial trademark, it’s called an official mark and it’s available under the Canadian Trademark Law, but it’s only available to public bodies like us,” Wilson explained.

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Wilson noted that the process for the official mark is interesting as the RDNO will have to put it in place and use it for an undisclosed but “short period of time” to show that it is being used properly and successfully. It will then be reviewed, which could take up to six months, before the RDNO gains full rights to the official mark.

The Ribbons of Green Trail Society is expected to be the leader in the process and will be one of the stakeholders in the project. Wilson said other stakeholders may get involved including Tourism Vernon and others that want to have input into how the official mark is used.

Wilson added that acquiring the official mark will align with other work by the RDNO.

“Part of our mandate is natural spaces and trails, and we’re just actually finishing off a new Natural Spaces and Trails Master Plan, and we’re looking at what we currently have in our trail network, some of our real jewels like the BX Creek and Grey Canal for example,” said Wilson.

“So I think this is another part of that. It’s another tool to kind of showcase the area and hopefully get more awareness and possibly could be a tool for marketing and tourism and other applications in the area.”

In an email to Vernon Matters, Ribbons of Green Trail Society president Harold Sellers said there are over 115 managed hiking trails in Greater Vernon that span over 200 kilometres. When the mountain biking trails, provincial park trails and pathways in the local resort communities are taken into account, the recreational trails network in Greater Vernon is estimated to be in excess of 500 km.

As of time of publication, the timeline for submitting the application for the official mark is still undetermined, as there is more work to be done in regards to legal processes and securing stakeholders, but Wilson told Vernon Matters, a preliminary application could be submitted within the next month.

RDNO has set aside up to $5,000 for the initiative, which is expected to cover the legal counsel costs and the development of an official Trails Capital of B.C. logo.

by Liam Verster

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