The trails in the Chilliwack River Valley are open and looking better than ever. Volunteer and professional trail builders spent more than 540 hours this year getting 70+ kilometres of neglected trails back into shape, clearing brush and deadfall, building new footbridges, addressing erosion, and installing reflective markers and information kiosks.
Their hard work has certainly paid off. Since late October, 13 trails — most of which were built in the 1960s and maintained by the Ministry of Forests until they were abandoned in 2002 when a “Request for Proposals to Manage and Maintain” was unsuccessful — have once again been opened for the enjoyment of hikers, cyclists, and equestrians alike. The Elk, Cheam, Pierce Lake, Slesse Memorial, Williamson Lake, Mt. Mcguire, Williams Ridge, Ford Mountain, Baby Munday, Ling Lake, Slesse Mountain, Mount Rexford and Vedder Mountain Trails have all been rehabilitated.
Last month, FMCBC director and Southwest BC Trails Committee Co-chair Patrick Harrison attended a breakfast hosted by Tourism Chilliwack and accepted an award recognizing the FMCBC as a community partner on the improvements made to the Chilliwack River Valley Trails. The trail rehabilitation was funded in large part by a National Trails Coalition Grant, which the FMCBC submitted with numerous other partners in 2014. Those partnering organizations — Community Futures South Fraser, Mt. Waddington’s Outdoors, Tourism Chilliwack, Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation, Fraser Valley Regional District, Around The Lake Give R Take 30, Chilliwack Outdoor Club, City of Chilliwack, Recreation Sites and Trails BC and the Chilliwack Park Society — also received awards for their part in the project.
Thanks to Marc from the Chilliwack Parks Society for the featured image.