With the clock ticking to get a funding request in to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure fund, Quesnel City Council has pivoted to try and get some money for the trails network at the West Fraser Timber Park.
The original plan, to appeal for more than 2.4 million dollars in funding for a new gymnastics facility, fell through.
Jeff Norburn, the Director of Community Services, noted at Tuesday night’s meeting that the trails project was broken down into three components…
“One is to upgrade the trails and add new trails inside the park itself, another one is to upgrade and improve the trail that goes from West Fraser Timber Park up to Borregard Road basically connecting with Red Bluff, and then the third component is a connecting trail between West Fraser Timber Park and the Arts and Recreation Center.”
Norburn also went over the costs…
” The project combined would be a $272,838, of which the grant would be covering $200, 072, and the city share would be $72,766.”
The city’s portion would come out of the Tax Stabilization Fund, although Council will seek funding elsewhere to try and lower the amount that comes out of that fund.
Norburn says the money will allow them to complete two of the three portions of the project.
He says it will only finish the “prep” portion of the third component which is the trail system that connects the park with the Rec Centre…
“The connecting trail, get some of the prep work done I guess, some geotech work and we have some funding for some land surveying, and just working with the Ministry of Environment.”
Norburn noted that the third component is a lot more complicated because there are some private property owners in there that they have to work with, as well as there are also some environmental issues because of Dragon Creek.
He said they aren’t insurmountable, but they aren’t ready to go right now.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
