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New Rural Trail on the Horizon
by Debbie Olsen, CARTS President
Republished from Alberta
TrailTracker Fall 2008
Talk trails to urban residents
and you are likely preaching to the converted. Trails have long been
recognized as one of the best-used and most cost effective recreational
facilities in modern urban centres. They allow residents better access
to open green spaces, promote healthy living and even affect economic
development.
Unfortunately, trails have not always held the same appeal for rural
residents. One of the challenges for stimulating support for trails and
green spaces in rural communities has been the sense that there is
already an abundance of open space. But things are changing in Alberta.
More than ever, rural residents are looking for ways to stay active and
walking and cycling are becoming more popular pursuits. Rural residents
want better access to natural areas such as lakes and wetlands and many
would like to see linkages between rural communities and urban ones.
Central Alberta is experiencing the benefits of this shift in attitude
thanks to some innovative and forward-thinking rural municipalities who
have taken the time to ask their residents what they want and followed
through with a plan to make it happen. In 2005, Red Deer County
commissioned an Open Spaces Master Plan that identified the need for
trails as one of the most important recreational facilities to Red Deer
County residents. A subsequent survey of residents in 2007 for the
Recreational Facilities Master Plan reconfirmed the importance of trails
when county residents listed trails as one of the top recreational
facilities they would like Red Deer County to undertake. "Residents have
said they want trails and we have been working on a plan to answer that
request," says Jo-Ann Symington, Community Services Manager for Red Deer
County. "The Open Spaces Management Plan identified three trails that
were a top priority and we are currently working on plans to build a 3.6
km trails from Springbrook to Penhold, a 6.8 km trail between Spruce
View and Dickson and a one km trail at the west end of Glennifer Lake to
provide public access to the Red Deer River."
The section of trail linking Springbrook and Penhold is planned to be
part of the Trans Canada Trail and Red Deer County is hoping to apply
for funding support from Alberta TrailNet and the Trans Canada Trail
Foundation and to begin construction in 2009. "We see it as providing a
valuable linkage between the communities of Springbrook and Penhold,"
says Symington. "We are in the process of surveying, completing the
engineering for the project, and obtaining right of way. We plan to make
it a showcase for the Trans Canada Trail in Alberta. There is a
beautiful wetland area and there will be some opportunities for a unique
design that has educational as well as recreational value."
The Springbrook to Penhold section of the Trans Canada Trail and the
other rural trails currently in the works at Red Deer County clearly
demonstrate that attitudes are changing when it comes to rural trails in
some parts of Alberta. The excitement about trails in Central Alberta is
almost tangible and thanks to forward-thinking municipalities and
hard-working trail advocates, we anticipate more exciting news about
Trans Canada Trail development in Central Alberta over the coming
months.
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