Port and partners put 1 million dollars to work on Seal Cove/Rushbrook Trail plan

Work is set to begin on the city's east side as a long planned redvelopement
of the Seal Cove/Rushbrook trail gets underway later this summer
(photo from PRPA photo stream)

The shovels have come out and the money is coming in when it comes to the work ahead for the Seal Cove/Rushbrook Trail revitalization program.

The Port of Prince Rupert made its announcement as part of yesterday's groundbreaking ceremony for the trail project, with the Port outlining its 835,000 dollar commitment to the project, which will also see CN Rail step in with 150,000 dollars and Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group adding another 50,000 for the work to bring back to life the east side trail.

The $835,000 financial commitment from the Port is the single largest investment in any community project to date.

Port CEO and President Don Krusel outlined how the Port is responding to the community call for access to the waterfront:

“The Port of Prince Rupert has heard loud and clear that recreational waterfront access is a community priority,”  ...“We’re pleased to demonstrate our commitment through a major contribution from our Community Investment Fund, which will enable the reopening of this iconic piece of Prince Rupert for all to enjoy. We hope to continue investing in other opportunities to address this need as they arise.”

The history of the Rushbrook trail goes back to 1985 when the city of Prince Rupert constructed a trail on the closed CN Rail line to Seal Cove, the trail was subsequently closed in 2003 after liability concerns were raised owing to rock and debris slides.

From there the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert picked up the theme of fundraising for improvements to the trail to make it safe for transit, more recently those efforts were joined by some ambitious plans from the Kaien Island Trail Enhancement and Recreation Society.

Representatives from both organizations were eager to share their enthusiasm for the plans ahead.

“It’s been more than a decade since we formed the Rushbrook Trail Committee and began working to bring the project to this stage,” ... “This trail is such a vital asset to our community, and I think the sense of excitement among Rotarians is one we’ll be sharing with many others in Prince Rupert as this project finally gets under way.” -- Bill Nicholls, member of the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert.

“This day has been a long time coming, and we recognize the years of work and significant financial contributions of all the organizations that have been involved to make this project a reality,” said Sean Carlson, President of Kaien Trails. “It’s incredibly rewarding for our society to be involved with this significant community improvement project. We look forward to bringing the Rushbrook Trail back to a state where it can be enjoyed as a premier recreational activity for residents and visitors alike.” -- Sean Carlson, President of Kaien Trails

You can review the announcement from the Port here.

The work on the project is expected to get underway later this summer, with Bear Creek contracting having been awarded the contract for the trail remediation work.

For more items related to the port's funding for community projects see our archive page here.

Some background on the work ahead for the Seal Cove/Rushbrook trail can be found below:

July 2017 -- Seal Cove/Rushbrook Trail groundbreaking set for July 25th
March 2017 -- Rushbrook Trail plans go to tender
December 2016 -- City looks to turn portion of Rushbrook Trail over to Trail Enhancement society