A new pedestrian and bike trail has opened on Mayne Island, connecting the Village Bay ferry terminal with Miners Bay.
The opening of the Mayne Island Regional Trail, a two-way, 2.3-kilometre gravel pathway, is good news for both residents and visitors, as well as economic development in the region, said Paul Brent, Southern Gulf Islands electoral area director for the Capital Regional District.
“I am thrilled this project is complete and I look forward to what the future phases of the Gulf Islands Regional Trails Plan hold for these communities.”
The trail plan, approved by the CRD board in early 2018, sets out routes for regional trails on Mayne, Salt Spring, North Pender, South Pender, Galiano and Saturna islands, all of which will be built as funding is obtained and design work is done.
Construction of the Mayne Island Regional Trail began in late 2022 and cost $4.5 million. Funding was from the CRD’s regional parks service, a $2.8-million grant from the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and $500,000 from the B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program.
The Mayne Island trail is expected to be the first phase of a multi-year trail-network project, and a pilot for future trail development on the Gulf Islands.
Brent said the tender to build a section of trail on North Pender is expected to go out before the end of the year, and the trail will hopefully be ready for use next summer or fall.
It will go from Magic Lake to the Medicine Beach commercial centre, with a possible extension to the health centre in 2026, Brent said.
Eventually, a 10-kilometre North and South Pender trail is expected to extend to the Otter Bay ferry terminal, and to Mount Norman-Beaumont Park on South Pender.
Brent said the North and South Pender trail project is different from the others in that it’s an on-island initiative led by the Pender Island Parks and Recreation Commission.
“They have fundraised on-island. You’ve got the community involved.”
The Salt Spring route is next in line for CRD projects and will be about 20 kilometres, running between the Vesuvius and Fulford ferry terminals. The first portion will be built between Vesuvius and Atkins Road.
Galiano’s route will cover about 10 kilometres from Sturdies Bay ferry terminal to Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park, while Saturna’s approximately seven-kilometre route will go from the Lyall Harbour ferry terminal to Narvaez Bay.
The CRD operates and maintains nearly 100 kilometres of regional trails on southern 91原创 Island and the Gulf Islands, including the new Mayne Island trail, the Galloping Goose trail, the Lochside trail and the E&N Rail Trail-Humpback 91原创or.
Capital Regional District board chair Colin Plant said such projects contribute to local and national climate-action targets by giving people a “greener” way to travel.
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