Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
A new project is aiming to create a paved multi-use trail from Hinton to the Jasper Park east gate for non-motorized users.
Mark Storie and Bernie Kreiner, board members of the West Yellowhead Trail Society, gave a presentation about the Pathway to the Park project to Jasper Municipal Council during its March 28 committee of the whole meeting.
The project vision is “to create an accessible, unforgettable Canadian Northern Rockies trail experience that feeds your soul; only the views will leave you breathless with beckoning mountain vistas, pristine lakes and boreal forests.”
The paved trail would be around 30 kilometres long and three metres wide with six metres of cleared area.
It would be designed for all non-motorized uses including bike riding, e-biking, walking, jogging, roller blading, roller skiing and non-maintained winter uses such as cross-country skiing and fat biking.
The society notes there would be scenic rest stops with picnic tables, viewpoints and interpretive
signage along the way, as well as designated parking at four locations.
The project would be completed in two phases, with the first phase going from Hinton to Wildhorse/Kinky Lake.
The West Yellowhead Trail Society has already made a formal application for approval of the first phase to the province as the primary land owner.
The society has managed to make progress on multiple fronts, such as raising over $200,000 for the planning stage, selling over 150 founding memberships in 60 days and establishing a trail alignment suitable to most parties.
Challenges include obtaining operations and maintenance agreement from municipalities, grazing leasee resistance and the responsiveness of some provincial agencies.
Among other tasks in 2023, the society now plans to submit a survey report for government approval, establish a fund development committee, implement a funding plan, undertake Indigenous consultations and complete a project detail design.
The goal is to begin site clearing in winter 2024.
Following the presentation, the four attending members of council all voiced support for the project.
“The thought that there could be that sort of access between our communities is really, to me, quite a progressive step and could really impact both the communities but the visitors too,” said Mayor Richard Ireland.
Ireland added how a precedent had already been set by the Banff Legacy Trail.
The committee received the presentation for information.
