The Cariboo Regional District and the City of Quesnel announced the opening of new low mobility trails at Pioneer Park on Dragon Lake yesterday. (Tuesday)
Mary Sjostrom, the CRD Director for Area A, says the trails are designed to accommodate individuals of varying levels of mobility.
“It was a beautiful piece of ground that wasn’t being totally utilized and it’s a trail that had someone come down in a walker yesterday, was able to do it with a walker and with scooters. That’s the kind of trail that we need, You can still enjoy nature, it’s not wide open, but it is lovely trails.”
The trails feature gentle slopes, smooth surfaces, and strategically placed rest areas to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all visitors.
The trail names, Uda’ Dene Wheti (Ancestors’ Trail) and Lhtakoh (Three Rivers Trail), were developed with input from Lhtako Dene elders and knowledge keepers.
Sjostrom says they had a good crowd on hand for the opening.
“It was really nice to see all the users out there and other people that are just interested that didn’t realize we have this wonderful amenity that close to town. It’s on Campsite Road and it’s just off Highway 97 in the south. Just another amenity for Area A, because we have a lovely one at Sisters Creek that is an accessible trail as well that was put in quite some time ago, but it is really well used out in Kersley. We just encourage people that want to get out and explore and have a nice walk without it being too cumbersome, if you’re not totally able body then you can use these trails, and I think that’s important.”
Sjostrom says there were a number of partners with this project in addition to the City of Quesnel, the CRD and the Lhtako Dene Nation.
“The Pioneer Park was donated years ago by the Farmer’s Institute of Kersley and the Women’s Auxiliary of Dragon Lake. It was gifted to the CRD and over the years it’s come over to sub regional rec so we operate under that partnership with the City of Quesnel. Currently it was being occupied by the archers who started out years ago and then the Dragon Boaters, and now we’re opening it up so that more of the community can enjoy it.”
New and upgraded trails were also opened at 108 Mile Lake in the South Cariboo and at the Esler Sports Complex in Williams Lake.
The price tag for the three projects was more than 458 thousand dollars, with just over 122 thousand of that coming out of the CRD’s sub-regional recreation budgets.
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