The RDOS is on the trail of vandals in the area.
Sometime last week vandals struck the opening of the Keremeos trail cutting down entrance and directional signs.
“We had our bout of vandalism this year. Not everyone is happy about the signs and the vehicle restriction signs,” Justin Shuttleworth, parks and facilities co-ordinator for the RDOS said.
The cost to replace the signs will be about $1,500.
“Our budget this year is a little over $260,000 and that goes into a lot of things and when these things happen it really adds up. Vandalism is hard to keep up with and it’s an unnecessary cost.”
Currently Keremeos has about 5.5-kilometre of trail that runs through the village starting at the Red Bridge and going all the way to Kobau Park in Cawston.
Last year the RDOS and the local Similkameen Trails Society worked to add a section of trail to connect Becks Road.
“That is kind of where the trail ends now. It’s unfortunate it ends at the highway but before it was a dead end,” he said.
The goal now for the RDOS and society is to connect the trail to Newton Road.
Shuttleworth said he’s working with the Ministry of Transportation and the owner of the property as there is an abandoned rail bed on the property.
“This is a slow process but we make headway each year,” he said.
The Red Bridge Trail was formally established in 2011, Shuttleworth said.
The RDOS requisition is up in all areas this year for trails.
Shuttleworth said the additional monies collected will go towards a number of initiatives but will mainly be used to hire a summer staff member to do an inventory of assets on all trails in the RDOS.
“We want a more accurate picture of our trails,” he said.
