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ROSSLAND – More than $200,000
from the Community
Development Trust’s Job Opportunities Program is improving cycling on the Seven Summits trail as well as
cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking on 40 kilometres of trails at the
Black Jack Cross-Country Ski Area, Community Development Minister Kevin Krueger,
Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell and Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister
Bill Bennett announced.
“The Community Development
Trust is assisting forest workers, their families and communities across this
province. During a time when every job counts, we are providing stability,”
said Krueger. “We are pleased to be able to support this project, while at the
same time improving more than 85 kilometres of world class outdoor trails in
the Rossland area.”
Nine forest workers will upgrade 45 kilometres of popular
trails in the Rossland Range, including the Seven Summits Trail (30.4 km), the
Old Glory Trail (8.5 km) and the Plewman Trail (5 km). The Seven Summits Trail
follows interconnecting alpine ridges and has been classified as an “epic
trail” by the International Mountain Biking Association. The trail is also used
by hikers and horseback riders, and attracts visitors from around the world,
contributing significantly to Greater Trail’s tourism sector.
“The Job Opportunities Program is using skilled forest
workers to offer improvements that complement the Rossland lifestyle and will
be appreciated by residents and tourists well into the future,” said Bell. “The
project also pays dividends into the local economy as mountain bikers, hikers
and skiers have better conditions and even more reason to visit and stay in the
area.”
The
trails and the upgrades are managed by the Kootenay Columbia Trails Society as
part of a $193,710 project. Upgrades include reinforcing points of wear or
erosion, improving drainage and tread surface, and the rerouting and rebuilding
some specific sections to improve the ride.
“This
funding will help improve recreation sites and trails that are already used by
a wide variety of British Columbians and visitors,” said Bennett. “These sites
and trails are important to the social and economic well-being of the local
communities and contribute to the diversity of our Province’s tourism
offerings.”
“This
grant is very timely due to the popularity and heavy use of the Seven Summits
Trail and the feeder Old Glory and Plewman Trails,” said Kootenay Columbia
Trails Society president Isaac Saban. “They will all be made much more
resilient and sustainable by this grant.”
Another project includes
the maintenance of more than 40 kilometres of cross-country ski trails at
Rossland’s Black Jack Ski Area, including the stadium area and night loop, the
kids’ terrain park, the Hannah Creek trails, and the Centennial Trail that
connects Rossland with the Black Jack Ski Area. The one-forest worker project
also involves clearing fallen and danger trees, thinning and pruning to
widen parts of the ski trails, and brushing to create snowshoe trails.
The project is helping
upgrade the area for competitions as well. Events scheduled for 2009 included
the annual Kootenay Cup Race, the 25th Annual Black Jack Loppet, and
Haywood NorAm and Teck Sprint Series races.
“We’ve
been very pleased with the work of our skilled forest worker so far. As a
non-profit, volunteer-driven society, the Black Jack Ski Club is very
appreciative of this additional help,” said Wannes Luppens of
the Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club Society. “With just under
600 annual club members, Rossland has the highest-density of cross-country
skiers in all of B.C., and as such, the Job Opportunities Program has directly
benefited our community.”
The projects are in addition to a $198,500 Job
Opportunity Program project announced January, where forest workers are
upgrading the Hannah Creek biathlon venue to international standards.
The $26.25-million Job Opportunities Program is
reducing the impact of current layoffs on workers employed in the forest
industry, retaining skilled forest workers for the anticipated future upturn,
and preserving the characteristics of the labour force in forest-dependent
communities.
Forest-dependent
communities or organizations, licensees and contractors working in co-operation
with a forest-dependent community are eligible to submit a project proposal to
the Job Opportunities Program. To date, the program has approved over $16
million to support 93 projects that will employ more than 750 forest workers in
communities across the province.
The
Job Opportunities Program is one component of the Community Development Trust,
which was announced last spring. B.C.’s share of the federal trust is
$129 million over three years, with funds also directed to a tuition assistance
program and the Transition Assistance for Older Workers Program. In the
2009/2010 budget, the Province committed an additional $30 million for further
programs similar to those offered under the Community Development Trust.
For more information about the Community Development
Trust and Job Opportunities Program, go to: www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt/. For details on
the January Hannah Creek announcement see: http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2009FOR0001-000002.htm
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Media Contacts: |
Jennifer McLarty Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and
Range 250 387-4592 Kim Deane Kootenay Columbia Trails
Society 250 362-5648 |
Leanne Ritchie Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Community
Development 250 387-4089 Wannes Luppens Black Jack Cross Country
Ski Club Society 250 364-4412 |
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