Planning for the second phase of the Suncoaster Trail will commence soon thanks to an Active Communities grant of $57,000. On Sept. 14, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board passed a resolution to proceed with finalizing the grant that will enable the planning process to begin.
“We will be working towards planning the route and having the detailed design completed within 2018 and ideally work will begin shortly after design completion,” said Andrew Allen, SCRD manager of planning and development. He said it’s too early to comment on the cost of the project and said an estimate will be done once the detailed design has been completed.
The SCRD, in partnership with the District of Sechelt and the Town of Gibsons, applied for the funds through a Vancouver Coastal Health grant program. Active Communities grants are a provincial initiative in partnership with BC Alliance for Healthy Living and regional health authorities. It was recommended by staff, and supported by the SCRD, that the shíshálh and Skwxwú7mesh nations be invited to participate in the project. The grant will be used to hire a consultant to come up with a detailed design.
In the 2017 SCRD budget, $3,000 was designated to kick off the planning process for the second phase of the Suncoaster Trail. A concept of the trail location at a lower elevation emerged from two community engagement sessions.
“The message seemed clear that [user groups] wanted an accessible trail that would appeal to all ages,” Allen said. He said the concept that emerged was that of a community connector that would join various neighbourhoods and communities.
Allen said collaboration with a number of different levels of government, First Nations and local user groups is required to determine the exact route of the new trail. He said from Halfmoon Bay the trail will likely hook into existing trails between Trout Lake and West Sechelt, and from there it a need to be determined if the trail will go through downtown Sechelt or be a rural route.
The trail will likely hook into the Roberts Creek trail network; however, an existing trail from Roberts Creek to Langdale will not be used because it exists on a steep hillside, which is not easily accessible.
“We want to ensure we have safety and comfort for all users,” Allen said.
The trail will be designated as mixed use, meaning it could be used for walking or biking. And, there could be limited access for motorized traffic and horses. Allen said the entire trail would not be wheelchair accessible, but there will be parts of the trail that could be accessed by wheelchairs.
The first phase of the Suncoaster Trail is a 37-kilometre trail stretching from Earls Cove to Halfmoon Bay. The second phase of the trail is expected to be about 60 kilometres from Halfmoon Bay, through Sechelt, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone, Gibsons, and end up in Langdale.
Allen said it’s difficult to get accurate numbers on the trail usage because there are a number of access points along the first phase of the trail. He said the idea of having the trail extended “from Earls Cove to Langdale is very exciting.”
