Contract to be awarded for next step in Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail

Rail trail contract coming

Photo: Regional District of North Okanagan

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District is set to approve the contract for construction of the Sicamous to Mara section of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail.

At the board's meeting Friday, the board is expected to award the contract to Splatsin Development Corp.

Splatsin handled construction on the Enderby test section of the trail and owns the land for the next section.

The rail trail project is a joint effort between the CSRD, Regional District of North Okanagan, and Splatsin First Nation. All parties agreed to manage the project jointly in order to keep it a unified, contiguous trail.

Each organization purchased parts of the land to be used for the trail when CN Rail decommissioned the rail line between Sicamous and Armstrong.

The portion set for construction next was originally going to be 1.5 kilometres, but SDC identified cost-saving efficiencies that will allow for 2.6 km of trail to be built for the same cost.

This section will cost $343,088.27, with funds to come through a combination of a B.C. active transportation grant and CSRD and District of Sicamous economic opportunity funds.

When the trail is complete, it will be to be a 50-km multi-use walking and biking trail that will stretch from Sicamous to Armstrong.