Long weekend makes for perfect moment for long walks on the Rushbrook Trail

Some spectacular views of Prince Rupert harbour and up into
 Tuck Inlet are to be found on the new Rushbrook Trail which takes you
from Rushbrook Floats to Seal Cove on the City's east side

The official opening is still eleven days away, but many Prince Rupert residents took advantage of the long Canada Day weekend to test out the newly revitalized Rushbrook Trail, exploring the many features of the city's growing trail infrastructure, this one bringing back a once popular walk along the city's eastern shoreline from Rushbrook Floats to Seal Cove.

Such was the interest and anticipation for the project, that even before trail users had been given the official OK of this weekend to take to the walkway, many residents had already done their own investigations, despite fencing designed to keep them out.

The project which has been long proposed and even started at a few points along the way, finally got its big push thanks to the combined efforts of the Kaien Island Trail Enhancement and Recreation Society and Prince Rupert Rotary Club.

They along with a range of corporate and civic partners got down to work over the course of the last year, with Bear Creek Contracting and Progressive Steel also part of the efforts to bring the eastern trail back to use.

Among the corporate partners for the project were the Port of Prince Rupert, CN Rail, Pinnacle Renewable Energy and the City of Prince Rupert.

In 2017, the trail was turned over to Kaien Island Trails by the city on a leased basis, leading to the restoration which made it to the finish line after a few delays.

The official opening for the project is set for Saturday July 14th from 11 to 12:30 at the Rushbrook end of the trail.

The transit from Rushbrook to Seal Cove features a new trail bed and some extensive bridge work in three locations, improved drainage, some rock scaling and look outs created that have made for some spectacular views of the harbour and inlet to the north.

The trail making for an enjoyable walk, run or cycle, though you may find yourself stopping from time to time to take in the view!

Three bridges fabricated by Progressive Steel, some new crush rock 
and improved drainage  are among some of 
the key elements to the new Rushbrook Trail

There is still a bit of finishing work to be done and some amenities to be placed along the trail which will continue through this month, though the trail is already proving to be a popular addition to the city's recreation options with a large volume of residents already having made their way to and from both ends of the project.

The completion of the Rushbrook Trail makes for an extended opportunity to explore the Prince Rupert Waterfront taking advantage of existing walkways from Rotary Waterfront Park, through Cow Bay and along George Hills Way.

Add in the popular Butze Rapids Trail and the Tall Trees Trail on Highway 16 and you can begin to get a glimpse of the vision ahead for recreation opportunities available within minutes of the city centre.

The latest success, is just one more stage of what the Kaien Island Trail Enhancement Society has in mind for a comprehensive network of trails around the city.

You can explore some of their future plans here and learn more about how you can become involved in their work.

For more items of note about Community events on the North Coast see our archive page here.

Correction: the original story has been corrected to reflect the work of Progressive Steel in the project, our apologies for the error in the original version.


To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.