The first section of the Howe Sound Crest Trail has now reached completion, and the crew and machinery has completed a section on the approach to St. Marks, past the new bridges that we installed at Strachan Meadows, with the bad switchbacks ahead due to be decommissioned and replaced. However we now are told that the $450,000 that FMCBC and Friends of Cypress raised from VANOC and the NTC (i.e. Federal Government funding sources) has now been spent. BC Parks has also spent some $11,000 of their funds and has committed valuable staff time, however we now have pointed out that we have provided all of our available funds and volunteer time, and it is now BC Parks’ responsibility to put in matching funds to upgrade their trail, as 80% of the trail has yet to be upgraded – even if this is modest amount on a year by year basis. So far we have not made much progress in negotiations, and it would be unfortunate if the experienced and capable contractor who has taken on this project has to take on other work, as we are approaching the start of the short construction season at this elevation, which only lasts from July to Mid-October, i.e. less than four months.
