A committed group of local residents dedicated almost 3000 combined hours of volunteer work in 2017 to ensure that Burns Lake has one of the best mountain biking trails in Canada.
Every year the Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association (BLMBA) reports to the provincial government the amount of hours volunteers spent keeping the Boer Mountain and Kager Lake recreation sites as beautiful as they are.
The total number of hours reported in 2017 was 2946 – up from the 2569 hours reported in 2016.
According to BLMBA director Dawn Stronstad, the total number of hours reported is still missing the work of “phantom” workers, who often help with trail maintenance and don’t report it to BLMBA.
“We are very thankful for the amount of volunteer time spent on the Boer Mountain and Kager Lake recreation sites,” said Stronstad. “Without the generous support of these passionate individuals, Burns Lake would not be known as a world-class mountain biking destination, or host events such as B.C. Bike Ride, where riders come from all over the world to experience Burns Lake.”
READ MORE: Mountain biking puts Burns Lake on the map
“BLMBA is excited to see how the development of this trail system has contributed to both the social and economic well-being of our area,” she added.
Last year UNBC released the results of a study which assessed the economic and social impact of mountain biking development in Burns Lake. According to the study, the volunteer hours put into building and maintaining the Boer Mountain trails have played a critical role in its success.
READ MORE: Economic impact of Burns Lake trails
Every Wednesday, a group or approximately 25 BLMBA volunteers participate in a work bee at the site.
“They come because we ride afterwards too, and that’s everybody – whether you’re a beginner or advanced rider,” BLMBA member Pat Dubé told Burns Lake council last October. “Other communities have only one work bee a season; we have one a week, and that’s fantastic; people feel like they own these trails.”
Since its inception, over 20,000 volunteer hours have been recorded by BLMBA members. Other organizations such as the Burns Lake Fire Attack crew have also donated a substantial amount of labour to the development of the trail network.
Types of work done by volunteers include weed whacking, trail clearing, painting, trail maintenance and work on events such as the Bike Camp, Babes in Balance, Big Pig and B.C. Bike Ride.
The Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association co-manages both the Boer Mountain and Kager Lake recreation sites with Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. and the Lakes Outdoor Recreation Society.
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