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| The Rushbrook Trail was declared Officially Open on Saturday (photo from City of Prince Rupert) |
Saturday delivered some sunny skies and pleasant temperatures for a walk along the city's new Rushbrook Trail and the enjoyable weather also made for a perfect scene for the official opening for the trail project, which has delivered one more piece of an ambitious trail system plan for the North Coast.
And while many Rupertites have already explored the trail since its completion was announced a few weeks back, this past weekend had been set aside as the day of celebration for the long anticipated return to active use for the east side trail
The City of Prince Rupert hosted Saturday's Grand reopening of the 1.2 kilometre walkway that travels along the northern harbour area from Seal Cove to Rushbrook Floats, a project which came together under the guidance of the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert and the Kaien Island Enhancement and Recreation Centre.
“We know that the redevelopment of Rushbrook Trail has been a priority for the project coordinators, especially the Prince Rupert Rotary Club, for many years,” ... “The new trail is proof of what is possible when community leaders and local partners and funders come together behind a project. We are so proud to support the work of Rotary, Kaien Trails, the Port and the many other important contributors, and see this beautiful new amenity come to fruition for our community.”
To bring some momentum to the long dormant rebuilding project, the City turned the land over to the trail group on a leased basis with work getting underway in earnest over the last couple of years, thanks to funding from a range of participants, led by the Port of Prince Rupert and it's 835,000 dollar commitment to the project.
Also contributing towards development of the trail project over the years has been Canadian National Railway, Pinnacle Renewable Energy and the Prince Rupert Rotary Club
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| Prince Rupert residents and visitors to the city now have one more stretch of waterfront area to take a stroll on, with the re-opening of the Rushbrook Trail on the city's east side (click to enlarge) |
The last year saw the pace of re-construction pick up significantly with Bear Creek Contracting on site relocating the trail away from the hillside using the existing trail bed with concrete barriers as a catchment area, thus addressing the safety concerns which saw the trail closed in 2003.
As part of the construction, Progressive Steel was also sub contracted to fabricate three bridges that extend the trail out over the harbour to avoid sections with potential for rock and debris slides.
The ongoing maintenance of the trail will be performed by Kaien Trails to ensure the trail can operate year-round for years to come, Sean Carlson, the President of Kaien Trails outlined the satisfaction that came from the completion of the project.
“This day has been a long time coming, and we recognize the years of work, volunteer efforts, and significant financial contributions of all the organizations that have been involved to bring this project to completion,” ... “It’s incredibly rewarding for our society to be involved in bringing Rushbrook Trail back to a state where it can be enjoyed as a premier recreational activity for residents and visitors alike.”
The Prince Rupert Port Authority shared some of the enthusiasm for the project among those who participated in it through a media information release on Saturday, which you can review here.
The City of Prince Rupert posted a number of photos from Saturday's Grand Opening celebrations, which you can view here.
You can explore some of our past notes on the Trail project below.
2018
City offers up spill over parking options for Rushbrook Trail users
Long weekend makes for perfect moment for long walks on the Rushbrook Trail
Trail adventurers not welcome ... just yet!
2017
Rushbrook Trail project moves to new phase of development
Port and Partners put 1 million dollars to work on Seal/Cove/Rushbrook Trail plan
Seal Cove/Rushbrook Tral groundbreaking set for July 25th
Council to hear proposal for cycling path to connect Civic Centre to Cow Bay/Rushbrook Trail
Rushbrook Trail plans go to tender
City of Prince Rupert makes Rushbrook Trail handover official
2016
City looks to turn portion of Rushbrook Trail over to Trail Enhancement Society
More notes on the work of the Kaien Island Trail Enhancement Society and their plans for trail development around the region can be found here.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
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