The Rotary Trail network has been an integral part of Golden’s community since 1998.
With more than 10 kilometres of trails connecting Golden’s residential, recreational, and downtown areas, the Rotary Club of Golden is planning the next big upgrade to the network.
The purchase of 10 additional solar powered lights will cost around $150,000 to purchase and install.
“We spent quite a bit of time focusing on youth, and we’ve done a little bit of work on the trails, so now this major project that’s going to see us through for the next year,” explained Rotary president Lori Baxendale. “In terms of funding and scope, is one of our biggest projects in decades.”
The Rotary Club already has $30,000 saved for the project, The Town of Golden has agreed to provide in-kind contributions for installation costs up to $37,000, and Rotary has requested $36,821 from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, and the same amount from the Columbia Basin Trust community initiatives and affected areas program grant. This leaves $6,000 Rotary will still have to raise.
Two lights have already been installed on the trail at either side of the pedestrian bridge on the south side of the Kicking Horse River.
The new lights are planned to be installed from the Golden Municipal Campground to Fisher Road, near where the Rotary Trail joins Confluence Park.
“For the most part, they have done very well,” Town CAO Jon Wilsgard said. “Typically, there can be a small window in early January if it’s very cold, when your light is certainly not there in terms of amount of time to charge, and the batteries are so cold they can barely charge themselves.”
Solar powered technologies allow the batteries to get enough of a charge to stay lit all evening, but there are some short times when they don’t.
“Even if it’s cloudy, those batteries are holding and retaining the energy to light up those lights,” Baxendale said.
For the past three years, council has budgeted the funds to install additional lights, amounting to the two that are currently installed. The consultation with Rotary began three years ago, with intentions to add lights to the entire trail.
“This is going to be a decades-long piece of community infrastructure, Baxendale said, adding that Rotary consulted with the Town to ensure the most appropriate types of lights are chosen and installed. “The Rotary Club knows nothing about municipal scale lighting. So, we can raise the money, we can be the catalyst, we can be the champions, but what do we know about choosing lights?”
The lights chosen are high bollard solar powered lamps, with downcast LED lights to prevent too much light pollution, Wilsgard explained. The Town of Golden will take on installation responsibilities and maintenance.
“Connectivity is also one of the priorities of council,” Mayor Ron Oszust said. “To continue developing the connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians, we recognize it as a priority… It is recognized from the perspective of safety also.”
The trail was completed in 1998, but that doesn’t mean Rotary and the Town haven’t been working on it. Almost two kilometres have been added to the loop to improve accessibility behind the high school with a series of switch backs, and a couple lights have been added to the downtown areas.
“This was a major part of the portfolio of the last two years to reach council’s goal of increasing connectivity,” Wilsgard said. “We now have added almost a full two kilomtres to that 10 kilometre loop through a series of switchbacks, and we’ve retained the original trail too for those who like to go up and down very quickly.”
