Seal Cove/Rushbrook Trail groundbreaking set for July 25th

Ground breaking for the Seal Cove/Rushbrook trail project
is set for next week at the Seal Cove end of the trail

The much anticipated remediation of the Seal Cove to Rushbrook trail walkway will get it's official start next week, as proponents of the much anticipated project to bring the trail back to life host a ground breaking ceremony for the media on Tuesday July 25th at 3 PM, taking place at the Seal Cove end of the waterfront trail system, near the Seaplane base.

The project which is being taken on by the local Kaien Island Trail Enhancement and Recreation Society, along with the Rotary Club will see the trail relocated away from the hillside, using the existing trail bed and concrete barriers as a catchment area, it will also include the construction of three bridges.

Through a media advisory, Rotary Club Treasurer Bill Nicholls outlined some of the scope of the work ahead, which includes much in the way of stabilization for the trail system which had been closed owing to safety concerns over the last decade.

Towards that aspect of the project, work is also planned to scale and stabilize the more unstable areas of adjoining rock bluffs. The existing roadbed will be replaced with crushed gravel, with ditches added to improve drainage.

As well culverts and railings will be repaired, while signs will be installed as will benches.

The Rotary Club first planned a renovation of the trail system back in 2008 however insufficient funding left those plans on the shelf.  More recently the Rotary Club joined up withe the renewed local efforts to bring the Rushbrook trail back to life, outlining some of their efforts towards that common goal.

Given the level of community discussion on waterfront access in early 2013, the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert saw the importance of resurrecting the Rushbrook Trail project and sought community partners in moving the project forward. 

In mid-2014, the Rushbrook Trail took a huge step forward when a number of local partners joined with the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert to bring this waterfront trail re-opening closer to reality and help address community concerns about limited waterfront access.

Earlier this year the City of Prince Rupert made the handover of the Rushbrook/Seal Cove trail official, noting with enthusiasm what the project may look like.

"The rehabilitation of the Rushbrook Trail was identified as a community priority in the City's ReDesign Rupert initiative and is going to greatly increase the safety of the area, as well as access across our waterfront ... The City is inspired by the leadership of the Kaien Trail Enhancement Society to create an interconnected network of trails through our community and is excited to support this project. Increasing the walkability and access to our community is important to residents, as well as to Council."

The original timeline, as relayed through a Facebook post from the mayor had noted a start to the project for the spring, with work to be completed within a year.

Those working together to bring the project to realization will outline the path ahead next week.

You can review some of the past notes on the trail plans below:

March 13, 2017 -- Rushbrook Trail plans go to tender
December 2016 -- City looks to turn portion of Rushbrook Trail over to Trail Enhancement Society

The Rushbrook/Seal Cove plans are just one of a number of trail projects that the Kaien Island Trail Society has in mind for the region, with an ambitious number of projects ahead for their "to do" list, you can review their Master Plan here.