May 20, 2016

 

 

The Shuswap, British Columbia - It's official! The brand new CSRD Mt Tuam Community Bike Park is open in Blind Bay. The pocket park, funded and built by CSRD Parks in collaboration with the Shuswap Trail Alliance, is the perfect play spot for novice mountain bikers to practice riding on trails with a short easy green loop and a slightly more challenging but still short blue loop, plus an up trail to get you back to the start to try again. "We need more spaces like this for kids," said CSRD Area C Director, Paul Demenok, who helped to advocate for the pocket park trails with the local community and the Area C Parks Commission.

 

The trails roll and wind with built up burms to help new cyclists learn to ride the trails "pump style" using their own momentum. A walking-only upper trail leads to lovely benches at a view point of the bike trails and another view point overlooking Copper Island. Its the perfect little oasis hidden among the houses. And a good first step before tackling bigger challenges like the John Evdokimoff Bike Skills Park at White Lake.

 

The trails were designed by a team of local kids working with Shuswap Trail Alliance technical trails specialist, Sutra Brett, and the STA trail crew. "The community input was awesome," said Sutra, "people stopped by every day to check on the progress of the trails being built and provide support." 

 

CSRD Parks planner, Susan Abbot, designed the trailhead parking area which was built by local excavator, Brandon Pukas. Simple rail fencing and rock maintain the natural integrity of the forested pocket park.

 

CSRD Parks Manager, Ryan Nitchie, thanked all the people who helped make the park possible, including the Area C Parks Commissioners, local residents, the STA team, and the CSRD Parks staff team. He then invited all the kids with their bikes to join the Parks Commission and Regional Director to cut the big red ribbon - before the pack made a dash to test out the new trails.

 

Check it out - there's a small parking area on the upper trailhead off Mt Tuam Crescent in Cedar Heights, Blind Bay. Or park at the Cedar Heights Community Centre and ride over. Check out www.shuswaptrails.com.

 

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For more information on CSRD Parks and the new Mt Tuam Community Bike Park contact:

 

Ryan Nitchie

CSRD Parks Manager

250-833-5917

rnitchie@csrd.bc.ca

 

For more information on this release please contact:

 

Phil McIntyre-Paul

Executive Director

The Shuswap Trail Alliance

250-804-1964

phil@shuswaptrails.com

www.shuswaptrailalliance.com