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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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