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Media News concerning trails in Central Alberta

Feb. 26, 2010, Red Deer Advocate, by Paul Cowley
Lacombe County embraces trail concept
   Enough Lacombe County landowners have warmed to the idea of a trail on their land so that a route from the Blindman River to Blackfalds could be ready this summer.
   "It's been a bit of a challenge for us in negotiating," said Phil Lodermeier, the county's operations manager, on Thursday. However, two or three property owners on a route near the C&E Trail have come on board and a route is now almost secured.
   "If we get one more, it looks like we'll be able to do it."
   The county put $225,000 in its budget to build the trail and $50,000 for the bridge. Alberta Trail Net contributed $100,000 towards the bridge and the National Trails Coalition $50,000.
   The project took a leap forward earlier this week when crews erected the framework for a pedestrian bridge across the Blindman River about two km south of the town.
   Dozens of Canadian Armed Forces engineers are going into action March 12 and 19 to lay the planking for the bridge and bolt on handrails.
   If all goes to plan the trail to Blackfalds should be ready for hikers and cyclists by July or August, said Lodermeier.
   A similar bridge over the Battle River near Ponoka was put in place earlier this month and will be finished off in the spring.
   The two bridges are part of a long-term plan to build a 71-km multi-use trail between Ponoka and Penhold as part of the Trans Canada Trail Network.
   The Ponoka project also received $100,000 from Alberta Trail Net and $85,000 from the coalition.
   Lodermeier said the 12-km stretch of trail between Lacombe and Blackfalds could be complete in the next two to five years. That trail would also link up to trails within both communities.

Jan. 29, 2010, Red Deer Advocate, by Brenda Kossowan
Bridges for pedestrians to be completed by the spring
   Work is to be finished by the end of March on pedestrian bridges connecting the Central Alberta Regional Trail.
   With support from the Town of Ponoka and Lacombe County, members of the Central Alberta Regional Trail Society are guiding construction of bridges crossing the Blindman River, south of Blackfalds and the Battle River inside Ponoka town limits.
   Construction of both projects has to be finished by the end of March to qualify for federal economic stimulus grants announced last fall, said Ponoka town councillor John Jacobs, one of the key figures in the trail project.
   Footings for the Ponoka bridge were placed last fall and a local welding shop has been building the five sections. They are to be welded together at the site, likely on Feb. 3, said Jacobs.
   A crane has been arranged to put the sections in place, but whether it goes ahead will depend on the weather, he said.
   CARTS president Debbie Olsen, who has been more closely involved with the Blindman River project, said the group has set a tentative date to bring military engineers from reserve units in Calgary and Edmonton to build the bridge deck.
   The group hopes to be able to arrange a safe viewing area for people to watch progress on the deck, which will be part of a military exercise, said Olsen.
   Ponoka could not get military engineers because its construction work will be underway at the same time as Blindman, said Jacobs.
   Military engineers are fully occupied in Haiti and Afganistan, so they were unable to offer enough people for both projects, he said.
   The Blindman bridge will be the second trail bridge military engineers have built in Alberta, he said.
   The two bridges are part of a long-term plan to build a 70.6-kilometre, multi-use trail between Ponoka and Penhold as part of the Trans Canada Trail Network.
   Bridges are going up right away, even though large segments of the Central Alberta trail have not been put in place, said Jacobs. The trail will have to cross some rivers, so organizers felt it imperative to get the bridges in place first, he said.
   At this point, the section from the south side of Ponoka to the Lacombe County boundary is now ready for use, with further construction to take place over time.
   Support for the Ponoka bridge has included donations of public and privately-owned land to give access to the bridge, said Jacobs.
   The Ponoka project has received $185,000 in federal money through the National Trails Coalition, $85,000 from Trans Canada Trail and $100,000 from Alberta Trail Net.
   The Blindman project has received $50,000 through the National Trails Coalition, $100,000 from Alberta Trail Net and $50,000 from Lacombe County.
   CARTS is seeking additional funding to start building a trail from the new bridge to the town of Blackfalds.

Dec. 22, 2009, Springbrook-Waskasoo Life online magazine
County Agrees to Purchase Mintlaw Trestle for $1
   Red Deer County council today unanimously agreed to purchase the former Alberta Central Railway Mintlaw trestle west of Springbrook from Canadian Pacific Railway for $1 in exchange for a tax receipt for $8.8 million, determined to be the current value of the structure.
   The bridge across the Red Deer River has been identified as a heritage site and an important landmark in the county. It was built in 1911-1912, leased to Canadian Pacific in 1913, acquired by CPR in 1957 with the last train crossing it in 1981. At 2,112 ft., it is the second longest CPR steel trestle bridge in the province. In the future, the County will determine if the bridge is suitable for recreation use as a pedestrian bridge. The 2010 budget allows for the acquisition of right-of-way on each side of the 32-span structure.
   Earlier in the year, the County, in the Open Spaces Master Plan, had identified the former Alberta Central Railway right-of-way between Red Deer and Benalto as a future recreational and agri-tourism trail.

Oct. 28, 2009, Ponoka News
MP announces federal funding for footbridge
   The federal government is providing bridge financing for a bridge in Ponoka.
   Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins announced Oct. 14 that the Town of Ponoka will receive federal funding to construct a pedestrian bridge over the Battle River.
   "This investment I'm very excited about because it will improve the quality of life right here in Ponoka," he said. "This bridge will make the experience of visiting the river valley all the more attractive and enhance people's experience."
   The new 140-foot long bridge will come off the new 57th Avenue train crossing.
   The pedestrian bridge project is funded to a total of $500,000: $185,000 from National Trails Coalition; $86,000 from Trans Canada Trail; $100,000 from Alberta TrailNet; with the balance to be paid by the Town of Ponoka.
   "The Government of Canada is providing $185,000 to develop this bridge that will improve safety and link the trails on both sides of the river," said Calkins. "As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, we are boosting local economies by creating jobs and enhancing trails for outdoor enthusiasts."
   "Now with this money, it makes the project viable," said deputy mayor John Jacobs. "It's something we can proceed with. This is great news for us."
   Jacobs said the trails through Ponoka's river valley are part of the TransCanada Trail system.
   Funding for a footbridge over the Blindman River was also announced Oct. 14. That will help create a trail linking Penhold to Ponoka.
   This project is supported through the Government of Canada's $25 million investment in recreational trails, part of the Economic Action Plan. The government's investment is matched by the NTC and provincial, territorial, municipal and private funding partners.
   Calkins said Prime Minister Stephen Harper was awarded the highest honour granted by the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO) for delivering on his commitment to expand Canada's network of national trails through the Economic Action Plan.
   Will's Welding is constructing the bridge in its Ponoka shop. Will Dillen told the group at the announcement at the the town hall that the main centre section of the structure has been built and the piles are in the ground at the site along the river.
   "There should be no problem meeting the March 31 deadline," he said.
   Dillen said the infrastructure program has had the intended effect of keeping Albertans working. With the slow economy, he considered laying off staff.
   "Because we knew it (bridge project) we were able to keep the staff on," Dillen said. "Some of the guys breathed a sigh of relief because they thought they would be getting pink slips and they didn't."

Oct. 19, 2009, Red Deer Advocate, by Laura Tester
Lacombe in Motion event raises money for trails
   A seasoned marathoner is on the run to improve trails around six Lacombe lakes and ponds.
   Lacombe resident Bill Nielsen helped organize Sunday's first annual Lacombe in Motion Walk/Run involving more than 200 participants.
   He said the community event's proceeds will go towards developing new trails, improving existing ones, setting up outdoor workout stations along several main trails, along with other possible improvements. Final fundraising tally wasn't known on Sunday.
   Trail development is important to people's well-being, Nielsen added.
   "People can get exercise either running, walking or biking on these trails," said Nielsen, 69. "You have a sense of going back to nature."
   Nielsen is a longtime fitness advocate, completing his 100th marathon in 2008 at the age of 67. Over the last 12 years, he carved out 15 km of trails using a grub hoe and other tools.
   The paths exist around Elizabeth Lake, Little Barnett Lake, Barnett Lake, Lake Anne, Henner's Pond and Cranna Lake.
   Some trails are made with wood chips, while others are asphalt and dirt.
   "We can make the trails around Henner's Pond wider, we can put wood chips down on the dirt trails and maybe extend the trails," Nielsen said.
   Nielsen said the trails could extend north as the town expands and additional ones could be built on the CUC campus. New ones could also connect with the Trans Canada Trail network to the south, where trails are being built from Penhold to Blackfalds, Lacombe and Ponoka.
   Both the Town of Lacombe and Canadian University College help maintain the trails developed by Nielsen.
   During the Woody's RV World Marathon and Half Marathon banquet this year, world-class ultramarathoner Scott Jurek raved about the trails, while on a run with Nielsen.
   "The trails around Cranna Lake are well used, but the rest aren't," said Nielsen. "So this is why we wanted to hold this race -- we want to draw awareness to the trails."
   The run began and finished at the college campus. Participants took a two-km, five-km, 10-km and 21-km distance route.
   The college's running club, in partnership with community members, planned the race in co-operation with the municipality.

Oct. 16, 2009, Red Deer Advocate Local Briefs
Grant provided for bridge
   The Town of Ponoka has received a federal grant of $185,000 to build a pedestrian bridge over the Battle River on its portion of the Trans Canada Trail.
   To be administered by the National Trails Coalition, the grant dovetails with an announcement on Tuesday that Lacombe County would receive $50,000 to build a pedestrian bridge where the original C&E Trail crosses the Blindman River, south of Blackfalds.
   Both projects fall within the Central Alberta Regional Trail Society's intention to create 70.6 km of trail through Red Deer, Lacombe and Ponoka Counties, including 5.2 km of trail within the Town of Ponoka.
   Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins announced Ponoka's share of the funding at the town office on Wednesday afternoon. The federal government, under its economic recovery program, has set aside $25 million to build recreational trails.
   Please visit www.tctrail.ca to learn more about the Trans Canada Trail network.

Oct. 14, 2009, Red Deer Advocate, by Brenda Kossowan
Call in the army
Funding falling in place for trail project including a military-built bridge deck

   Army engineers and an injection of cash from the federal government will help kick-start the Lacombe County leg of the Trans Canada Trail.
   Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins announced Tuesday that the federal government will provide $50,000 toward building a pedestrian bridge at the southern boundary of Lacombe County where the C&E Trail meets the Blindman River.
   The new bridge will go in the spot where a traffic bridge was torn out a number of years ago, said Phil Lodermeier, operations manager for the county.
   His department is seeking $225,000 from the county's 2010 budget for the first phase of the trail, taking it from the Blindman River to the Town of Blackfalds.
   Alberta TrailNet has contributed $100,000 toward the project and Trans Canada Trail has provided $51,040. Lacombe County committed $50,000 earlier this year for building materials.
   While county workers will lay the bridge foundation this winter, members of the Corps of Engineers will build the bridge deck and install the handrails in spring, said Lodermeier.
   "They quite willingly volunteered. I guess they do this on occasion and it's good practice for them," he said.
   The bridge deck will be about 2.5 metres wide, just narrow enough to discourage people from trying to drive quads or trucks across.
   A second phase will take the trail to Lacombe and then there will be two more phases from Lacombe to Morningside, where the trail will meet the Ponoka County leg, said Lodermeier.
   "The Trans Canada Trail will eventually stretch from Penhold to Ponoka."
   Lodermeier anticipates that Lacombe County's share of the project will take roughly four years to complete.
   Calkins was to announce similar funding today for the Ponoka County leg of the trail, which will include a pedestrian bridge over the Battle River.
   Funding for the trail projects comes from a total of $25 million for recreational trails provided under the Conservative government's Economic Action Plan.
   Funds for the projects are being administered by the National Trails Coalition.

Sept. 29, 2009, Springbrook Waskasoo Life online magazine
County Starts Construction of Springbrook Park Trail System
   Red Deer County has started construction of a trail system in the treed and meadow natural area south of the hamlet of Springbrook and Airport Drive. The main spine of the trails is part of the Trans Canada Trail system with branch trails emanating from it and will connect with the town of Penhold along Range Road 271.
   Residents of the area have been looking forward to the trail for several years. The county purchased the natural area a few years ago when it was in the running for the provincial police college. Some trails are expected to be paved and a lookout is expected to be constructed near the wetland. Funding for the trails has come from a variety of sources including the Trans Canada Trail Foundation and Alberta TrailNet.

Media News re trails 2009         Media News re trails 2008          Media News re trails 2007              Media News re trails 2006

 

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