Two groups devoted to long trails are merging their efforts.
The Summerland Trans Canada Trail Society and the Trail of the Okanagans Committee have decided to merge their efforts.
Both societies represent the dreams of residents and visitors for safe and enjoyable cycling and hiking trails. Following extensive discussion it was decided to amalgamate both groups under the name of The Trail of the Okanagans Society.
The Trans Canada Trail Society, founded in 1999, is the older of the two and was the provincially appointed trail steward for a 40 kilometre section of the KVR Trail connecting Summerland with Osprey Lake.
Those duties came to an end recently when the province signed a trail maintenance agreement with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
The Trail of the Okanagans Committee was formed with the mission to advocate for a 250 km recreational pathway from Osoyoos to Sicamous as an eventual goal. In the short term, they are working on connecting trails between Summerland with Penticton and Peachland. Their success in creating the lakeside trail between Summerland’s Lower Town and Trout Creek helped gain approval for a design study on continuing the trail to Penticton.
Read more: Trail of the Okanagan organizers look to expand
Both groups have provided input to than engineering study, planned to run along Highway 97. Future plans include reviving the KVR trail south of the Summerland trestle bridge across Penticton Indian Band lands.
The new society will continue to work with the District of Summerland and the Regional District of Central Okanagan to redevelop the historic Fur Brigade Trail connecting Summerland with Peachland. The addition of bicycle lanes while repaving Garnett Valley Road and the planned improvement of the 3.2 km trail connecting the Fur Brigade Linear Park with Hardy Falls will move this project forward.
Once completed, this link between the south and central regional districts will provide access to the planned Trail 2000 connecting Peachland with Kelowna, and ultimately to the Okanagan Rail Trail between Kelowna and Vernon.
