The City of Kelowna will be an active participant on an Inter-Jurisdictional Development Team, which will plan, design, finance, develop, and maintain a continuous recreational trail along the discontinued CN rail corridor.
“Local governments have invested $22 million in the purchase of the discontinued railway,” said Mayor Colin Basran. “In doing so they have made a long-term commitment to the ultimate development of the rail corridor as a multi-modal regional transportation corridor, including use of the corridor as a recreational trail.”
According to stipulations surrounding the corridor sale, CN is responsible for track removal and environmental site remediation. As such, CN has until 2017 to complete these terms.
Construction on the corridor can only commence once the aforementioned obligations are satisfied.
In addition, any development and design plans will undergo a public consultation process, as well as a cost estimating process.
“Planning for development of the rail corridor meets Council’s priority to help deliver a balanced transportation network with increased investments in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure,” said Basran. “The timing and funding of any construction work will ultimately be at the discretion of the elected councils of the City of Kelowna and the District of Lake Country and of the board of the Regional District of North Okanagan and planned for in the annual budgeting cycles.”
At this time, the City of Kelowna is not in a position to make any significant financial commitments to the development of a trail. However, as development moves forward, the City said that different opportunities will be explored, such as external fundraisers and granting agencies.
The municipalities of Lake Country, Coldstream, and Vernon, as well as the regional districts of Central Okanagan and North Okanagan are on board with the development of a rail corridor trail.
For more information on the rail corridor, visit the City of Kelowna website.
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