The Pitt River Regional Greenway continues to grow with the recent acquisition of nine riverfront land parcels.

Located between 176th Street and Ford Road in Pitt Meadows, three added hectares bring the total greenway to approximately 46 hectares.

The additions protect ecologically important inter-tidal wetlands, including black cottonwood floodplain forest and the foreshore habitats of wildlife, including seals, muskrats, and many bird species.

“Regional greenways offer excellent scenic trails while also protecting the biodiversity of sensitive ecosystems,” said Heather Deal, chair of Metro Vancouver’s regional parks committee. “Greenways provide connectivity between green spaces and ecosystems, and their continued expansion within the region is great news for all Metro Vancouver residents, plants and animals.”

Metro Vancouver has been gradually adding land to the Greenway toward fulfilling the vision of a 31-kilometre trail along the Fraser and Pitt rivers, from Harris Landing to Grant Narrows, linking to a network of municipal trails, the Trans Canada Trail, Canyon to Coast Trail and Alouette River dike trails.

The first phase of the Greenway between Harris Landing and the Pitt River Bridge provides 10 kilometres of broad dike trail and a one-kilometre nature trail.

“More and more people are discovering the exceptional trails and scenic vistas of the Pitt Meadows riverfront,” said John Becker, mayor of Pitt Meadows. “There were over 145,000 visits to the greenway last year, and we expect that number to keep growing. The City of Pitt Meadows is very pleased to work with Metro Vancouver to continually expand the Greenway.”

Metro Vancouver operates the greenway through an agreement with the City of Pitt Meadows. The land purchase of $432,000 was funded from Metro Vancouver’s Heritage Parkland Acquisition Fund.

The Pitt River Regional Greenway offers views of the Coast Mountains, Pitt River, Fraser River, and working agricultural landscapes. The broad trail accommodates walking, cycling and horseback riding.

Metro Vancouver’s regional parks system covers a total of 14,500 hectares, and includes 23 regional parks, three regional park reserves, two ecological conservancy areas, and five regional greenways.