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THE FUTURE OF THE KVR TRAIL, THE BACKBONE OF BC’s TRANS CANADA TRAIL
IS THREATENED
Vancouver, August 8, 2011 - Trails BC is expressing concern about a
recent petition and a letter writing campaign by the provincial
motor sports sectors, lobbying the provincial government for
authorized motorized access to the Kettle Valley Trail ail (KVR)
trails which are the backbone to BC’s portion of the national Trans
Canada Trail as well as the province’s Spirit of 2010 Trail Network.
Spearheaded by the provincial ATV organization, the Quad Riders of
BC, this campaign threatens to turn the KVR/Trans Canada Trail into
an official motorized trail with major negative implications for
non-motorized users.
Over the last two years there has been resurfacing of sections of
the KVR trail between Summerland and Faulder. In an attempt to
maintain the integrity of these newly surfaced sections as well as
to address other concerns impacting non-motorized users, the
government of British Columbia Recreation, Sites and Trails posted
official non-motorized signs on these sections just before the May
long weekend. These non-motorized signs were immediately removed by
unauthorized individuals. As a result, motorized users are still
using these sections and the newly resurfaced sections are already
degraded from motorized use. Such degradation discourages cyclists,
the main intended user, from using the trail.
Here is a
quote from the
government’s new
website
on the Spirit of 2010 Trail, stating its vision of the Spirit of
2010 Trail originally announced by former Premier Campbell in 2004.
The KVR trail is the biggest single component of the Spirit of 2010
trail and BC’s Trans Canada Trail.
“The
Spirit of 2010 Trail is the first segment in the creation of world
class recreational rails to trails product that will stimulate the
development of incremental tourism infrastructure and incremental
tourism visits across a significant portion of British Columbia. The
Spirit of 2010 Trail is 750 kilometres in length and there is the
potential to convert over 2000 kilometres of rail trails in total.
The rails to trails movement has become an accepted model in North
America for sustainable economic development in rural and urban
areas. It is the conversion of former railway corridors into
world-class recreational trails for use by cyclists, hikers,
equestrians and Nordic skiers. It has enabled primarily rural
communities to develop a sustainable business case for economic
development using rail trails.”
Trails BC strongly supports this vision as do the vast majority of
BC’s self propelled recreational users and Trans Canada Trail donors
because it is known that such a quality trail would attract, in
great numbers, said users at home and worldwide.
Trails BC urges concerned citizens to contact their provincial
government representatives, the premier and the ministry responsible
for trails, Ministry of Forestry, Lands and Natural Resource
Operations to show their concern about this issue that threatens the
vision of a world class trail network for British Columbia and the
future of the Trans Canada trail in BC.
Write to:
Hon. Steve Thomson
Minister of Forests, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations-
MLA- Kelowna Mission
P.O. box
9049
Stn Prov Govt
VICTORIA BC
V8W 9E2
FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Premier Christy Clark
christy@christyclark.ca
John Hawkings
Recreation Sites and Trails BC
John.Hawkings@gov.bc.ca
For more information
Contact:
Trails BC - Responsible for
establishing the Trans Canada Trail in BC
Léon Lebrun, Vice-President or Al Skucas,
President, Trails BC,
trailsbc@trailsbc.ca
Phone: (604) 899-0737
Trans Canada Trail
National
Deborah
Apps, President and CEO, Trans Canada, info@tctrail.ca,
1-800-465-3636 | 
