The Town of Golden unveiled The River Walk on Wednesday, Sept. 22, after nearly two years of construction and a three year project on the riverfront space.
The River Walk is a part of the beautification component of the Kicking Horse River Dike Improvement Project.
It is designed to both protect Golden from river flooding and to improve the riverfront space between the downtown core and the Kicking Horse River.
“Congratulations to the Town of Golden on this milestone and for using your ingenuity to address flooding while also creating a space for people to enjoy that will enhance the tourism experience along the Kicking Horse River,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
“We’re proud to provide funding for this project because we recognize the importance of supporting the local economy and strengthening tourism experiences into the future.”
The Kicking Horse River Dike Improvement Project is funded through The Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia as administered by the Union of BC Municipalities, and represents the largest infrastructure grant the Town of Golden has ever received at $5.87 million.
Over 65 per cent of this amount is allocated for this specific area with the rest of the funds used to heighten dikes elsewhere in the community over the last year.
The design for the downtown riverfront area was informed through public engagement in late 2019 and into 2020. The beautification component, valued at about $1.2 million, is being funded through the Resort Municipality Initiative.
“This project has transformed our riverfront into an amazing new public space where residents will come to work, play and connect, visitors can enjoy all that Golden has to offer, and presents our local businesses with new opportunities,” said Golden Mayor Ron Oszust.
“But more importantly, this has been our number one public safety project for Golden and has increased our level of flood protection for the future.”
The town will also be celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the Kicking Horse Pedestrian bridge at the unveiling ceremony.
