Rail Trail Fundraising Surpasses $2.6 Million

Feb 6, 2017 | 5:59 AM

The fundraising campaign for the Okanagan Rail Trail has now surpassed $2.6 million dollars with some 34-hundred individuals donating to construction.

The result sees the first two stages fully funded and work is either underway or requests for proposals are out on them.

Trail ambassador Brad Clements says construction will begin this year.

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“Once construction starts, if we can have another fantastic year of donations then we just keep construction going through the winter and we can have the trail completed for next year.”

Clements says the business community is really getting on board too right now.

“Businesses now are stepping forward and wanting to help out with in-kind donations and engineering services and construction companies are saying we will provide some in-kind support to help get it done.”

Clements says if donations can be generated as strongly this coming year there’s no reason that completion by next year can’t be achieved.

“People aren’t thinking trail at this time of year. We’re going to get ready. We have some ideas and a couple of donors maybe interested in a couple of matching campaigns again. We’ll get excited again in the spring and as long as the money keeps rolling in then we can achieve the goal of the trail next year.”

Work is either underway or requests for proposals are out for both the first two phases of the trail right now.