For those who love the Canmore to Banff section of the Trans Canada Trail, wait until you get a load of the next proposed plan.
Construction is slated to begin in 2014 on a 71.89-kilometre path connecting the Goat Creek trailhead to Elk Pass in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park which will cater to hikers, mountain bikers and, potentially, cross-country skiers.
Dubbed the High Rockies Trail, route planners said the trail won’t be paved like the Legacy Trail, but it won’t be a “pile of rocks, roots and boulders either.”
“There was concern on the part of people who plan trails that a long-distance trail would not get a lot of use. By raising the standard of the trail, it would broaden the base of the market. When you start to improve quality, the base of users expands,” said Peter Barr, past-president of Alberta Trailnet.
Barr said the $2.7 million section of trail has been in the works for at least 13 years, but the time is now to make it happen.
“It was a clear choice, but nothing happened for a long time. There were lots of issues to be cleared up on the British Columbia side in regards to land tenure. Once those issues were cleared up, we were able to get serious,” Barr said.
Kananaskis Parks manager Dave Hanna said the route is still in the consultation phase, as Treaty 7 Aboriginal groups are currently examining the proposal and will offer their feedback shortly. There is no timeline on that process, and Hanna said if the trail goes ahead, funds will come from the Trans Canada Trail group.
The trail will only require about 30 kilometres of new construction, as Barr said several existing trails will be connected, including the Sawmill cross-country ski trails and Chester Lake trails. The trail should receive all-season usage, but Barr said one section could have an avalanche risk in winter.
“Technically, the trail starts at the Banff National Park boundary. It will swing west of the highway behind Goat Pond, cross the dam, hug the side of the lake, get to the boatlaunch, cross the road and head up the hillside. The trail will take advantage of the views where they’re possible. We don’t want it to be a walk in the forest. It will be a mix of stunning mountain scenery,” Barr said.
Although it won’t be as busy as the Legacy Trail, Barr believes the new trail will become an important route that will eventually connect Banff and Fernie through a 210 km route. Connecting the two resort communities through a direct route was a priority for the trail builders.
“When the conception of the High Rockies Trail came into being, it was something we thought could be marketed worldwide to users. Tourism is an important part of the trail.”
The Trans Canada Trail organization will pay for the bulk of the expenses, as the federal government would like to have the entire coast-to-coast trail completed by 2017 for Canada’s 150th birthday. The next section of the trail would connect to Elkford and Fernie, B.C., something that would bring great tourism potential, Barr said. He envisions shuttle services running up and down the Smith-Dorrien Road to support and cater to cyclists on the trail. The route will not run alongside the road, but further upslope with a tree buffer.
Flood damage in Kananaskis Country has pushed back work on the trail, as the province recently announced $60 million to repair and restore Kananaskis. Barr said much of the money for this project should come from the federal government.
“With the flood damage and demands for reparations, it’s tough for people to spring loose a dollar. Our hope from a Trans Canada Trail perspective would be most of the money would have federal origins. There will be more information coming out in November, but we’re hoping we can begin in 2014,” Barr said.
The Trans Canada Trail is currently 72 per cent complete and runs through 1,000 communities.
The national nature of the trail is evidenced by the fact that on Oct. 8, $1.4 million in funding was announced to complete the trail on Prince Edward Island and on Oct. 7, the 33-kilometre Fundy Trail through Fundy National Park in New Brunswick opened.
