Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail construction underway
Development work on the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail has started for the 2024 season. Following the development of a hugely...
The Shuswap-to-Armstrong Rail-Trail UPDATE: GOOD NEWS! Public assent was achieved to purchase sections of the abandoned Canadian Pacific Rail corridor between Sicamous and Armstrong. The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) and the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) have both successfully concluded an Alternative Approval Process (AAP), providing them with the necessary public assent to borrow for the purchase of sections of the CP Rail Corridor property between Sicamous and Armstrong, excluding a number of sections owned by the Splatsin.
The AAP required that 10 percent of eligible voters formally indicate their opposition, by signature, in order for the process to fail without proceeding to referendum. In CSRD, 2,918 eligible voters would have had to indicate their opposition to reach 10 percent, and only 141 valid petitions were received. In RDN O, 1,658 signatures were required to achieve 10 percent opposition, and only 91 valid petitions were received.
In partnership with Splatsin and their segments of the CP rail corridor, this proposed land acquisition is intended to ensure public ownership of a key linear corridor to be used for recreational opportunities, including walking and cycling, while retaining the corridor for future transportation and economic development needs. There is also long-term potential to connect this corridor to the Okanagan Rail Trail, which is currently under development and connects the City of Kelowna to the District of Coldstream. For the full news release click here.
And watch for further updates to come this fall as leadership throughout the region work together to establish this unprecedented recreational greenway trail for the Shuswap. A Q&A information sheet on the Sicamous-to-Armstrong Rail Corridor Acquisition and the Alternate Approval Process is available through the CSRD (view the CSRD FAQ here) and the Regional District of North Okanagan (view the RDNO FAQ here). For an overview of the Rail-Trail vision, including the link with the Central and South Okanagan Rail-Trail initiatives, check out the presentation here. And be sure to let your local leadership know you support them in this important work of acquiring, building, and maintaining the corridor as an asset for future generations.
