Kelowna

It’s a great place to take a stroll or a more strenuous run in the shade alongside Mission Creek. It’s an important corridor used by Central Okanagan cyclists. It’s also a trail frequented by some local equestrians.

Mission Creek Greenway Regional Park is an extremely popular recreational trail that can find multiple user groups on it at any one time of the day.

In fact, it’s estimated well over a thousand people use the 16.5-kilometer trail each day. They range from pedestrians walking and care givers out with infants in strollers to joggers getting some exercise cyclists out for a ride and horse riders from adjacent stables exercising their steeds.

“The Greenway is a year round mecca for lovers of the outdoors," says Communications Coordinator, Bruce Smith.

"But, during the spring, summer and fall months, we see a lot more traffic along the linear trail and just as it is on our roadways with so many multiple users comes the potential for periodic conflicts. Our goal is to ensure that everyone using the corridor shares the Greenway.”

Parks Services Bylaw Enforcement Officer Blaise Laveay says everyone using the Greenway and any of the other trails in our Regional Park system should be aware of proper trail etiquette.

"Under the Regional Parks Bylaw all dogs must be kept on leash and must stay on designated trails. Cyclists shouldn’t go faster than ten kilometers an hour along the trail and should keep to the right side of the trail, unless they are passing someone on foot," says Laveay.

"They should also give an indication that they are approaching from behind by ringing a bell, honking a horn or simply vocally acknowledging their passing to the left. So that everyone can share the Greenway, cyclists and pedestrians should yield to horse riders while cyclists should yield to pedestrians.”

Animal owners are reminded to pick up waste deposited along the trail. All residents should remember that unauthorized motorized vehicles are not allowed along the Greenway.