The Williams Lake Cycling Club saw a very busy 2020 on its trails, and they will be looking to give them a boost for the future.
The club has applied for an NDIT (Northern Development Initiative Trust) grant. The request is for $30,000 in grant funding under the Recreation Infrastructure Program to build a progressive flow trail on Fox Mountain.
The total project cost is $283,085, with a complimentary application for $253,085 from the Province through the Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Project.
The project aims to provide a route for mountain biking with a smooth and wide downhill trail and relatively direct uphill trail. The intent is to create a high-use trail. The project plans to construct one new machine built trail and upgrade other existing trails totalling 8,707 metres of trail on the Fox Mountain trail network and provide one cohesive downhill flow trail.
The trails surrounding Williams Lake reached all-time highs for usage in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The existing trails used in this project receive approximately 1,500 rides per year. After construction, the trails are anticipated to receive at least 25 rides per day, with use increasing each year.