The trails around Christina Lake are about to go digital thanks to a project by the Christina Gateway Community Development Association. The gateway association has signed a contract with the provincial government through the B.C. job creation partnership for the project which will create up to four jobs for ten months.Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson was on hand at the Christina Lake Welcome Centre to present a cheque for $51,000 to the gateway association.Larson said the project was developed through the hard work of local volunteers.“These volunteers brought me out here,” she said. “The fact that this group of people got together and put together this project that will also employ four people. This opportunity will provide marketable skills training to the workers and promote Christina Lake’s trails.”The digital trails project is part of a larger community strategy in Christina Lake to increase trail usage and to attract new visitors and new business. “I’m just thrilled,” said Larson. “I think this is just part of healthy living and just a great project. There’s a tremendous amount of trails. This’ll be great for visitors who will have it all at their fingertips.” Regional District of the Kootenay Boundary Area C (Christina Lake) director Grace McGregor said the trails project will help bring Christina Lake to the age of tourism.“In other words, so all those young people out there who rely on that (technology) will tell everyone that we are ‘mapped’,” she said. “When you’re mapped – it’s a different message.”McGregor was quick to praise the work of Cavan Gates, manager of special projects for the gateway association, and Sandy Mark on bringing the project forward.“This project came about after we talked about raising our tourism and putting it out there where it needs to be digitally,” she said. “We aren’t there. We got a huge grant from Cybek to help with that. This is another portion of completing that.”McGregor said that if Christina Lake doesn’t start paying attention to smart phones and other portable media they would fall behind, “and we have been behind,” she said. “This will bring us another level up to where we need to be with tourism.”

Grand Forks Gazette